PSL: Lahore Qalandars humiliate Islamabad United

In what can only be described as a complete annihilation, Lahore Qalandars demolished Islamabad United in their recent match in the HBL Pakistan Super League.

This was their biggest win in terms of runs and the joint-second biggest in the league’s history.

Lahore Qalandars went on top of the points table with this stunning victory on Monday night at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Lahore Qalandars have been in scintillating form, recording their second comprehensive win in as many nights with a combined batting effort that saw them score 200 for seven.

In reply, Islamabad United fell like a pack of cards, collapsing to 90 all out with 37 balls to spare.

The opening pair of Mirza Tahir Baig and Fakhar Zaman gave Lahore Qalandars a perfect start, putting up 58 runs.

Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan finally provided his side with a much-needed breakthrough by bowling Baig on a delivery that stayed low.

The next over saw Fakhar being dismissed off Tom Curran, which brought the star of the show, Abdullah Shafique, and Sam Billings together in the middle.

What followed was an absolute masterclass in batting.

Abdullah and Billings put on a breezy stand of 71 in just 39 balls, setting the platform for Lahore Qalandars to post another imposing score.

After having posted their highest ever total of 241 the day before, Lahore Qalandars showed no signs of slowing down.

Cameos from Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, and Rashid Khan helping them breach the 200-run mark.

Islamabad United, on the other hand, were completely clueless against the quality of the Lahore Qalandars bowling attack.

Despite a decent start by Colin Munro and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the team suffered an epic collapse, losing five wickets for only 14 runs.

The score of 54 for one slipped to 68 for six, and the team eventually lost all their wickets with just 90 runs on the board.

David Wiese emerged as the player of the match with his phenomenal performance, taking three wickets for just 17 runs.

Sikandar Raza and Rashid Khan also played their part, taking two wickets each.

Lahore Qalandars’ performance has been nothing short of spectacular in this year’s HBL PSL, and they have set the bar extremely high for the rest of the teams in the tournament.

They have breached the 200-run mark eight times in their history, a feat that no other team has achieved in the league so far.

While Lahore Qalandars continue to dominate the tournament, the rest of the teams will have to pull up their socks if they hope to challenge them.

Scores

Lahore Qalandars 200-7, 20 overs (Abdullah Shafique 45, Fakhar Zaman 36, Sam Billings 33, Sikandar Raza 23 not out, Mirza Tahir Baig 20; Tom Curran 3-34, Shadab Khan 2-34)

Islamabad United 90 all out, 13.5 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 23; David Wiese 3-17, Sikandar Raza 2-6, Rashid Khan 2-8)

Player of the match – David Wiese (Lahore Qalandars)