Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators PSL 8 18th Match 2nd March 2023

Posted on Mar 3, 2023

The 18th match of the Pakistan Super League 8 2023 was played between Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators on March 02, 2023, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Lahore Qalandars won the match by 17 runs.

Lahore Qalandars won the toss and elected to bat first. Mirza Baig and Fakhar Zaman opened the innings for Lahore Qalandars. However, Mirza Baig was caught and bowled by Umaid Asif in the second over of the innings. Fakhar Zaman was then run out by Umaid Asif for 4 runs. Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings, Hussain Talat, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and David Wiese were all dismissed cheaply, leaving Lahore Qalandars struggling at 50 for 7 in the 10th over. Sikandar Raza played brilliant innings of 71 runs off just 34 balls, which included 8 fours and 3 sixes. He was well supported by Rashid Khan, who scored 21 runs off 20 balls, and together they helped Lahore Qalandars reach a total of 148 runs in 19.2 overs.

Chasing a target of 149 runs, Quetta Gladiators got off to a decent start, with Yasir Khan and Will Smeed adding 46 runs for the first wicket. However, Haris Rauf dismissed Yasir Khan for 14 runs in the 6th innings. Rashid Khan then took the wicket of Will Smeed for 32 runs. David Wiese dismissed Martin Guptill for 15 runs, leaving Quetta Gladiators struggling at 64 for 3 in the 10th over. Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Hafeez were dismissed cheaply, and Quetta Gladiators struggled at 79 for 5 in the 14th over. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Odean Smith tried to resurrect the innings, but Haris Rauf took both wickets, leaving Quetta Gladiators struggling at 104 for 7 in the 17th over. Umaid Asif tried to play some big shots towards the end but could only score 11 runs off 6 balls.

Ultimately, Quetta Gladiators were bowled out for 131 runs in 20 overs, falling short of the target by 17 runs. Lahore Qalandars' Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 33 runs in 4 overs. Rashid Khan and David Wiese also took 2 wickets each. Lahore Qalandars' Sikandar Raza was named the player of the match for his brilliant innings of 71 runs.

In summary, Lahore Qalandars won the match by 17 runs against Quetta Gladiators in the 18th match of the Pakistan Super League played on March 02, 2023. Sikandar Raza's brilliant innings of 71 runs helped Lahore Qalandars post 148 runs in 19.2 overs. In reply, Quetta Gladiators were bowled out for 131 runs in 20 overs, with Haris Rauf taking 3 wickets for Lahore Qalandars. Sikandar Raza was named the player of the match for his outstanding performance.

According to his post-match interview, Shaheen's team emerged victorious, thanks to their excellent team effort. Shaheen mentioned wanting to play a few overs, so he went out to bat early. The team needed to support each other, which was evident in the performances of Sikandar Raza and Rashid Khan. The team aimed to bowl length and did everything the same. He expressed his desire to give the bowlers something to bowl at, and they did a good job by posting 148. Raza praised Rashid Khan's contribution as well. Sikandar Raza was awarded the Player of the Match award and several other accolades.

Sarfaraz, who led the losing side, expressed his disappointment and took responsibility for the team's poor bowling. He acknowledged that their performance between overs 5-10 was weak, allowing the opposition to take control.