On 3 March, Lahore Qalandars continued their domination in Eliminator Two of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025, as they defeated the Islamabad United by a blistering margin of 95 runs to earn a spot in the final. The monumental win, on a lovely Friday night at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, now sets up a final clash against the Quetta Gladiators on Sunday.
Although Affridi’s men were busy celebrating a phenomenal achievement for the team, there was exposure for how much strength the Qalandars have in batters and bowlers. Islamabad United, on the other hand, were fairly consistent throughout the PSL tournament, but in this eliminator, they were completely outclassed and underwhelming in all areas of the game.
Outstanding Batting Performance
As predicted, the top order, which featured the likes of Shafique and Zaman, came to the party and spearheaded Qalandars’ innings after they elected to bat first. The intentions from the fpward was clear- go out, bat aggressively and put the opposition on the back foot and this is exactly how the top order operated. Equally aggressive, power hitting, high strike rate batting from Stubbs and Zaman during the powerplay overs further crippled the United bowlers response. Before they knew it, the Islamabad bowlers were under immense pressure and found it increasingly difficult to stem the flow of runs.
However, it was the havoc wreaked in the middle order that changed the innings into a batting clinic. Sikandar Raza once again showcased his worth to the Lahore franchise with a knock that was both aggressive and kept the innings acceleration ongoing. By languidly wielding his bat in the final overs, Sam Billings helped the Qalandars surpass the 200 bar, finishing at a staggering 210 for 5, making the Islamabad
