- May 19, 2025
Just when things seemed to settle into a pattern in the PSL 10 league stage, Lahore Qalandars pulled the pin and blew the whole thing up. In a rain-affected, 13-over match in Rawalpindi, not only did they outplay Peshawar Zalmi, they also slammed the door shut on the playoffs in Babar Azam’s face.
With Fakhar Zaman back to doing what Fakhar does best – hitting the ball into orbit against poor bowlers – Lahore posted an enormous total, even for a mini-match like this. The result? Peshawar Zalmi is now out, Lahore is now in the top three in the PSL 2025, and the points table is all over the place and looks a bit like a Rubik’s Cube with a couple of moves left. Let’s have a look at what happened in this chaotic shake-up weekend and where the teams are with just one league match to go.
Fakhar’s Fire & Lahore’s Comeback Game
In truth, Lahore Qalandars have had their moments of the shaky variety this season. However, again, Zalmi, they came out swinging. Fakhar Zaman’s 60 off 36 wasn’t just classic — it was downright brutal. Fakhar smashed 10 boundaries and 3 massive sixes on a damp day in a contest where timing was going to be a real challenge.
Fakhar’s fiery innings was the engine behind Qalandars’ racing to 149 in only 13 overs. That is a scoring rate that any team would be pleased with in T10 cricket, never mind a rain-shortened PSL match. The bowlers were extremely well-disciplined and never let Zalmi settle. They took out Zalmi by 26 runs, and they notably moved up the table.
Zalmi’s Nightmare: End of an Era?
Spare a thought for the Peshawar Zalmi faithful — this one stings. Year after year, they have been part of the playoff party. This time, there was no invitation. In a winner-takes-all bout, Zalmi brought butter knives to a bazooka fight.
Babar Azam hung around for a gritty 16, but the middle order vanished under pressure like morning mist.. Daniel Sams and Ahmed Daniyal tried to blow the hopes for life into the innings late, but it was like putting duct tape to prop the hull on a sinking boat. Their campaign finished fizzling with just 123/8 in the chase.
Playoff Picture: The Road Ahead
What’s the next stage? Quetta Gladiators Charge Ahead: Are the Kings of Consistency Headed for the Qualifier? Next up is the Karachi Kings on 12 points from 9 games, with Qalandars (11 points) following closely behind. Emptying the stomach of drama? Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings (the last league match of this PSL). United (10 points) must win against the Kings by an imposing margin to pass Lahore on the net run rate towards the top two. While not improbable, it’s improbable.
Lahore Qalandars will have some downtime, hoping that United win, but not out-rightly. A picturesque Playoff puzzle, one where the action in the next few days promises much entertainment before any shaky knockout doom begins.
As PSL 10 wraps up the last league game, the script-writer must have a few lumps in their throat! Lahore Qalandars managed to achieve a statement win, when there was most to win; there was an implausible fall from grace for Peshawar Zalmi; and the points table has left fans reaching for their calculators and crossing their fingers!
Can United manage another net-run-rate miracle? Will Karachi hold on to second? Is Lahore peaking at the right stage? One thing is certain: This season feels like drama that is merely getting better with age!
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