Fakhar’s 103 drives Qalandars past Gladiators

Fakhar Zaman’s magnificent 103 and a disciplined bowling performance helped Lahore Qalandars register a 9-run victory over the Quetta Gladiators in a nail-biting encounter of the HBL PSL 2026 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday evening.

Chasing a challenging target of 198, Quetta made a confident start as Shamyl Hussain and captain Saud Shakeel put on 49 runs for the opening wicket. Saud scored a steady 17 before being dismissed by Sikandar Raza.

Shamyl then anchored the innings alongside Rilee Rossouw, as the duo kept Quetta in the chase and took them past 50 runs. Shamyl brought up a well-made half-century, scoring 53 off 31 balls with five fours and three sixes, before being run out after sharp fielding.

Lahore struck again immediately as Haris Rauf removed Hasan Nawaz for a first-ball duck. Rossouw, however, continued aggressively and reached his half-century in quick time.

The momentum shifted when Ubaid Shah dismissed Rossouw for a blazing 62 off 29 balls, an innings featuring five fours and five sixes.

His wicket at 149-5 triggered a collapse, with Quetta losing wickets at regular intervals. Shaheen Afridi and Rauf kept the pressure on, while Bevon Jacobs and Brett Hampton fell cheaply.

Needing 19 runs in the final over, Abrar Ahmed fought hard with an unbeaten 24, but Rauf held his nerve, conceding just nine runs to seal the win for Lahore.

First Innings

After opting to bat first, the defending champions posted 197-6 in their 20 overs, powered by Fakhar’s brilliant 103 off 51 balls, including 11 fours and six sixes.

Lahore’s innings got off to a shaky start as Khalil Ahmed dismissed Mohammad Farooq early. However, Fakhar and Abdullah Shafique steadied the innings before Shafique fell for 14.

Fakhar then took control, dominating the bowling attack with fluent stroke play. He reached his half-century in style and later formed a crucial 96-run partnership with Charith Asalanka, who contributed 31 runs.

Fakhar went on to bring up his third PSL century, finishing with a superb 103 off 51 balls. His dismissal in the 17th over briefly slowed the scoring, but Daniel Sams provided a late boost with an unbeaten 18 to push the total close to 200.

For Quetta, Khalil Ahmed picked up two wickets, while Abrar Ahmed, Brett Hampton, and Usman Tariq claimed one wicket each.