PSL 2023 Live: Rashid takes four wickets to help Lahore confirm qualifier berth
Fakhar Zaman scored his second century to help Lahore post a big total
Rashid Khan proved his worth on a batting track after he bagged four wickets to help Lahore Qalandars restrict a strong batting line of Islamabad United to 107-9 during 26th match of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 8 at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
Afghanistan's leggie bowled a destructive spell to rattle United at their home ground. He bagged four back-to-back wickets to roar in front of a jam-packed Pindi crowd.
He took four wickets for just 21 runs in his spell of four overs. Zaman Khan and Haris Rauf took two wickets each to further provide assistance to Qalandars in defending a mammoth target of 227.
United suffered a blow in the first innings as their hard-hitting batter Azam Khan got a finger injury. He didn't come out to bat tonight.
Alex Hales and Hassan Ali scored 18 runs each.
Earlier, Qalandars' opener Fakhar Zaman scored his second hundred as his team scored 226-5.
After deciding to bat first, Qalandars lost opener Abdullah Shafique in the first over. Fazalhaq Farooqi bagged Abdullah with a full-length delivery.
Fakhar and Kamran Ghulam carried the innings from there and that too in an aggressive mood. Fakhar, who is already in top form this season, smashed the ball all around the park.
After getting three lifelines - two dropped catches and a successful review, Fakhar managed to score his second hundred in the tournament. Alongside Kamran, he scored firing 122 runs off 62 balls.
Kamran managed to score 41 off 30 before falling to Mohammad Wasim Jr. However, Fakhar didn't stop there and completed his task. He also partnered with Sam Billings to score 70 runs together.
Fakhar scored 115 runs off 57 balls including eight boundaries and as many sixes. Billings contributed 32 off 22. Rashid Khan's quick 15 runs also helped Qalandars put up a big score.
For United, Farooqi bagged three wickets while Hassan Ali and Wasim shared a wicket apiece.
TOSS
Lahore Qalandars won the toss and decided to bat first against Islamabad United.
Both teams currently have 12 points each, after eight matches, with Qalandars at the top of the table due to a superior net run-rate.
United, who have already qualified for the playoffs, defeated Multan Sultans in their last match by two wickets after a thrilling finish. Meanwhile, Lahore, who have also booked their place in the last four, lost to Peshawar Zalmi by 35 runs in their last outing.
Tonight’s match promises to be a good contest with Qalandars' world-class bowling, which has the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Rashid Khan, taking on the explosive batting, which includes the in-form Colin Munro and the dangerous Alex Hales, of United.
Qalandars defeated United in the first match between the two sides in PSL 8 with a thumping 110-run victory on February 27 at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Lineups:
Islamabad United: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mubasir Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings (wk), Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
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