- May 24, 2025
What happens when the team that backs into the playoffs suddenly finds its rhythm just before the final whistle blows? Ask the Lahore Qalandars. They began in fourth position on the table, and have turned their fortunes around in spectacular fashion, mauling their way to the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Their 95-run destruction of Islamabad United was not just a statement win; it was an exclamation mark. Goodbye Amsterdam! The fire-breathing fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Mirza were just two flames in the flames. Let us not forget the party-crashing vintage fireworks provided by Kusal Perera.
Afridi & Mirza’s Destruction
You know it’s bad for your team when you have hardly gotten settled, and four wickets are gone. That was what was done to Islamabad United, Afridi and Mirza just ripped through the top order before the innings had any chance to settle. The left-arm pace twins hunted as a pack, swinging the ball with a vengeance, and targeting the stumps like missiles.
Afridi was pure dynamite. His first over? A toe-crushing in swinger that removed Muhammad Shahzad’s middle stump and sent it cartwheeling. He came back later to mop up the tail and ended with the ridiculous analysis of 3 wickets for just 3 runs in 3.1 overs. That is not bowling, that is destruction as an art form.
Mirza, the more obscure name, was just as effective. He bowled Farhan chopping on, then bowled van der Dussen with a beauty caught by Kusal Perera in the field. His final analysis of 3 for 16 doesn’t just read well on paper.
Kusal Perera’s Counterattack
The spark before Afridi and Mirza’s opportunity was Kusal Perera, and their innings blasted like 2015, smoking boundaries (through extra coverage, third man, and deep midwicket) like it was his backyard. His 61 off 35 was stylish and savage and showed not only why he is still one of the most explosive batters on his day.
What was particularly impressive was his pace play, particularly with Naseem Shah. Two sixes off Naseem in the previous over – one over fine leg and the other cut over deep third, demonstrated both timing and intent. He was not just scoring runs, he was setting the tone, bullying bowlers into submission, as well as making sure Qalandars could not let off the gas even at the end.
With Rajapaksa (22 off 13) doing an excellent job of being the perfect foil playing with gumption in the middle overs, the Lankan lefties gave serious momentum to Lahore’s innings. It was the type of batting that crushes spirits and morale – just ask United.
Naeem’s Knock That Set the Tempo
Let’s not forget Mohammad Naeem—because if there’s one player who set the early tone, it was him. Naeem walked out after Fakhar Zaman fell early in the innings, and he treated United’s bowlers with absolutely no respect. Full ball? Driven through the cover. Short ball? Pulled over square leg. Anything in between? Sent to the boundary.
He blasted 34 off 14 just in the powerplay, showing no fear even with the field spread. His 50 came off 25 balls—a heavy dose of both timing and aggression, and not just the boundaries, he had the United bowlers second-guessing every ball they bowled. When your No. 3 comes in swinging like that and connects, it frees up the rest of the batting order to keep their instinctive approach to the game.
So, let us know in the comments: are the Qalandars peaking at the right time, or is Quetta still the team to beat?
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