Lahore Qalandars will play in the Pakistan Super League final after thrashing defending champions Islamabad United by 95 runs in the second eliminator.
Islamabad got off to a terrible start chasing 203, slipping to 12-3 in the fourth over.
Salman Ali Agha (33) and captain Shadab Khan (26) added 39 for the fifth wicket, but they were the only batters to make it out of single figures as Islamabad’s innings crumbled.
Salman Mirza took 3-16, but he was outshone by captain and fellow seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who finished with remarkable figures of 3-3 from 3.1 overs.
It was Shaheen who took the final wicket of Haider Ali, as Islamabad were bowled out for 107 with 29 balls to spare.
Shaheen’s figures are the most economical in the history of the PSL where a minimum of 18 balls have been bowled. In terms of economy rate, Shaheen’s figures are joint-11th cheapest in T20s.
Islamabad began their season superbly, winning their first five matches, but were victorious in just one of their next seven games.
They finished second in the regular season, one point and two places above Lahore, and then lost the qualifier match to table toppers Quetta Gladiators to miss out on direct progression to Sunday’s final.
Lahore, champions in 2022 and 2023, won the toss and chose to bat at their home ground, and opener Mohammad Naeem got them off to a strong start, striking 50 from 25 balls.
Sri Lankan Kusal Perera hit a 35-ball 61 before he was bowled in the final over by England seamer Tymal Mills, who took 3-42.
Shakib Al Hasan followed two balls later, caught for a two-ball duck at mid-off, and Rishad Hossain was run out from the final ball of the innings, but Lahore’s score of 202-8 proved to be defendable, and they will now seek a third PSL title against Quetta Gladiators on Sunday.
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