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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Lahore Qalandars players erupt in wild celebrations at Shaheen Afridi's 'iPhone for all' announcement after PSL win
Lahore Qalandars won their third Pakistan Super League title last week when they defeated Quetta Gladiators in the final. However, an interesting video has surfaced from the post-match celebrations in the dressing room, where Shaheen Afridi is seen addressing the team. In a now-viral video, captain Afridi stood in front of his jubilant players in the dressing room and made an unexpected announcement: 'This time, everyone's getting an iPhone.' The declaration triggered a full-blown celebration, with cheers and jumps from a squad already on a high after clinching the trophy with a six-wicket win. The surprise wasn't just the phones themselves, but the sudden shift from tradition. Until now, Lahore had been handing out an iPhone only to the dressing room's chosen 'Player of the Match' after each game. But after wrapping up a third title in four years, Afridi threw that playbook out. Qalandars' 202-run chase, the highest-ever in a PSL final, was orchestrated by Kusal Perera's unbeaten 62, with strong support from youngsters Mohammad Naeem (46) and Abdullah Shafique (41). The game came down to the last over, but Sikandar Raza, who had landed in Lahore only ten minutes before the toss, coolly finished it off with a six and a four in the final moments. Lahore sealed their third title following triumphs in 2022 and 2023. Raza said it was unbelievable to reach Lahore and achieve success. "It is unbelievable, batted for 40-odd overs in the Test, flew to Dubai where I had breakfast and then lunch in Abu Dhabi and arrived minutes from the toss, so it's incredible," he said. Hasan Nawaz scored a brilliant 76 to lift Quetta to 201-9 after they won the toss and batted. Coming in at 21-2, Nawaz added 67 for the fourth wicket with Avishka Fernando (29) and another 46 with Dinesh Chandimal (22) to steady the ship. Lahore skipper Shaheen Afridi was the pick of their bowlers with figures of 3/24. It was Faheem Ashraf (28) who lifted Quetta past 200, taking 23 off the last Salman Mirza over. The six-team PSL was suspended on May 9 following the conflict between India and Pakistan. However, the league resumed on May 17 after a ceasefire between the two countries.
Times of Oman
7 days ago
- Sport
- Times of Oman
From England to Pakistan: Raza's 48-hour dash to PSL glory
LAHORE: Less than a day after walking off a cricket field in England, Sikandar Raza was making headlines in the Pakistani city of Lahore — not for his arrival, but for finishing the job with a flourish. On Saturday, Raza had trudged off after a gritty innings at Trent Bridge as Zimbabwe fell to an innings defeat against England. But while most of his teammates slowed down, Raza's clock started ticking faster. His PSL side, Lahore Qalandars, were in the final — and they wanted him back. So began one of the most whirlwind journeys in franchise cricket. 'Dinner in Birmingham, breakfast in Dubai, lunch on the road to Abu Dhabi, and dinner in Pakistan,' Raza said, recalling his mad dash across three countries and time zones. 'I bowled 25 overs the day before, batted 20 the next, and still had to show up for my brothers. How could I not?' There was no business class. No rest. Just urgency and loyalty. Raza caught the earliest available flight out of Birmingham to Dubai, transferred to Abu Dhabi, and then flew to Lahore — barely reaching the stadium in time. Ten minutes before the toss, Shaheen Afridi confirmed: Sikandar Raza was in the XI. What followed was the stuff of folklore. Raza was tossed the ball early — and struck immediately, dismissing Rilee Rossouw. But it was with the bat that his legend was sealed. Lahore looked dead and buried — needing 57 off 20 with Amir in rhythm and Rajapaksa just dismissed. Then came Raza. The first ball was pulled for four. The next, launched for six. Momentum shifted. But it all came down to the final over: eight needed off three, Raza on strike. Faheem Ashraf's wide yorker was almost perfect — almost. Raza bent, reached, and sliced it over cover point for six. The Gaddafi crowd roared. The next ball — mistimed, but destined — was whipped to the midwicket fence. Lahore had pulled it off. Raza had pulled it off. 'I tried to take the emotions out,' he said. 'I was so mentally and physically drained. All I told myself was, 'Just watch the ball. Don't think. Hit it clean.'' And clean he did. 'This is what it's all about,' Raza said, eyes glinting under the stadium lights. 'We've played three knockout games, won finals off the last ball before. But this — this one — it's special. Because of the story, the chaos, the belief. I've got no words.' He didn't need any. From Nottingham to Lahore, Sikandar Raza had already written the perfect one.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raza arrives just in time from England to lead Lahore to PSL title
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza flew in from England, arrived 10 minutes before the toss and went on to lead Lahore Qalandars to its third Pakistan Super League title in four years. Lahore's record successful chase on Sunday saw it beat Quetta Gladiators by six wickets with a ball to spare in a thrilling final. Raza had played in a test match against England at Nottingham which Zimbabwe lost by an innings on Saturday. He made a vital unbeaten 22 off seven deliveries on Sunday while Kusal Perera smashed a 31-ball 62 not out to carry Lahore to 204-4 in 19.5 overs after Quetta had chosen to bat first and scored 201-9. Quetta mystery spinners Abrar Ahmed (1-27) and Usman Tariq (1-38) had squeezed Lahore and when Raza arrived the home team still needed 57 runs off the final 20 balls. Not tired Raza showed no signs of fatigue after multiple flights to reach Lahore and smashed fast bowler Mohammad Amir for a four and a six off the first two balls he faced. With eight runs needed off Faheem Ashraf's final three balls, Raza smacked the fast bowler over point for a six before hitting the winning boundary wide of mid-on. Earlier, Pakistan's rising star T20 batter Hasan Nawaz smashed 76 off 43 and Ashraf (28) hit Salman Mirza for 23 runs off the final over to take Quetta past the 200-run mark. The fast bowling duo of captain Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-24) and Haris Rauf (2-41) pegged back Quetta in the death overs when they claimed four wickets in the space of two runs but Ashraf's late onslaught gave Quetta hope to claim its first PSL title in six years before Raza stole the show. Lahore won the PSL titles in 2022 and 2023 and with its third win equaled Islamabad United's record of three PSL titles. ___ AP cricket:
Associated Press
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Raza arrives just in time from England to lead Lahore to PSL title
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza flew in from England, arrived 10 minutes before the toss and went on to lead Lahore Qalandars to its third Pakistan Super League title in four years. Lahore's record successful chase on Sunday saw it beat Quetta Gladiators by six wickets with a ball to spare in a thrilling final. Raza had played in a test match against England at Nottingham which Zimbabwe lost by an innings on Saturday. He made a vital unbeaten 22 off seven deliveries on Sunday while Kusal Perera smashed a 31-ball 62 not out to carry Lahore to 204-4 in 19.5 overs after Quetta had chosen to bat first and scored 201-9. Quetta mystery spinners Abrar Ahmed (1-27) and Usman Tariq (1-38) had squeezed Lahore and when Raza arrived the home team still needed 57 runs off the final 20 balls. Not tired Raza showed no signs of fatigue after multiple flights to reach Lahore and smashed fast bowler Mohammad Amir for a four and a six off the first two balls he faced. With eight runs needed off Faheem Ashraf's final three balls, Raza smacked the fast bowler over point for a six before hitting the winning boundary wide of mid-on. Earlier, Pakistan's rising star T20 batter Hasan Nawaz smashed 76 off 43 and Ashraf (28) hit Salman Mirza for 23 runs off the final over to take Quetta past the 200-run mark. The fast bowling duo of captain Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-24) and Haris Rauf (2-41) pegged back Quetta in the death overs when they claimed four wickets in the space of two runs but Ashraf's late onslaught gave Quetta hope to claim its first PSL title in six years before Raza stole the show. Lahore won the PSL titles in 2022 and 2023 and with its third win equaled Islamabad United's record of three PSL titles. ___ AP cricket:
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Zimbabwe's Raza flies in to take Lahore to PSL title
Pakistan Super League, Lahore Quetta Gladiators 201-9 (20 overs): Hasan 76 (43); Shaheen 3-24 Lahore Qalandars 204-4 (19.5 overs): K Perera 62* (31), Raza 22* (7) Lahore Qalandars won by six wickets Scorecard Sikandar Raza hit the winning runs to lead Lahore Qalanders to the Pakistan Super League title, a little more than 24 hours after he was playing for Zimbabwe against England in their Test loss at Trent Bridge. The all-rounder struck a six and a four from consecutive deliveries to take Lahore to victory against Quetta Gladiators with one ball to spare. Needing 202 for victory, Raza joined Kusal Perera at the crease with 20 balls remaining and the pair staged an unbroken 59-run partnership to complete the highest chase in a PSL final. Quetta scored 201-9 after winning the toss, with Hasan Nawaz striking a 43-ball 76, while star Lahore seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi took 3-24. Gladiators topped the regular season table while Lahore finished fourth, but the Qalanders won three consecutive knockout games to seal their third title in four years. Raza had been batting in Nottingham on Saturday, scoring 60 as Zimbabwe fell to an innings defeat. The match finishing a day early allowed Raza time to fly back to Pakistan, arriving at the Gaddafi Stadium 10 minutes before the toss. He dismissed Rilee Rossouw in the first innings, finishing with figures of 1-43, then came to the wicket with Lahore needing 57 from 3.2 overs, having only scored 48 runs since the halfway mark. He immediately hit Mohammad Amir for a four and six to set his side back on track, before Perera hit three sixes and two fours from the next 12 balls, to leave Lahore needing 13 from Faheem Ashraf's final over. The pair had added five runs after three deliveries before Raza finished the match in style, lifting a flat six over point and then whipping a four through mid-wicket. Quetta came into the match on the back of an eight-match undefeated run, but swiftly lost openers Saud Shakeel (4) and Finn Allen (12). Hasan arrived at number four, adding partnerships of 67 and 46 with Avishka Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal. The second pairing was ended in dramatic fashion by Shaheen, who removed both batters in the space of four deliveries in the 18th over. Amir and Abrar Ahmed then fell to consecutive Haris Rauf balls without scoring, meaning Quetta had lost four wickets for two runs. Faheem Ashraf (28 from eight balls) ensured their innings did not end with a whimper, hammering three sixes and a four from Salman Mirza's last over before being caught off the final ball. Lahore, who had the advantage of all the play-off matches being staged at their home stadium, saw opener Fakhar Zaman trapped lbw by Abrar for 11 in the fourth over. Mohammad Naeem (46) and Abdullah Shafique (41) put Lahore in a solid position, but they were facing a formidable required run-rate by the time Bhanuka Rajapaksa was caught off Amir in the 17th over. That, however, brought Raza into bat, and the Zimbabwean took flight with the bat to win the PSL title for his team. Most runs 1. Sahibzada Farhan (Islamabad United) - 449 runs 2. Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalanders) - 439 3. Hasan Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators) - 399 4. James Vince (Karachi Kings) - 378 5. Abdullah Shafique (Lahore Qalanders) - 376 Most wickets 1. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalanders) - 19 =2. Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf (both Quetta Gladiators), Hasan Ali, Abbas Afridi (both Karachi Kings), Haris Rauf (Lahore Qalanders) - 17 Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
