Farooq and Fakhar direct a 32-run symphony to evict RawalPindiz
By Nawaz Gohar ; In a high-octane encounter that crackled with the intensity of a final, the defending champions, Lahore Qalandars, reaffirmed their dominance in PSL 11. On a humid Saturday night at the National Bank Stadium, the Qalandars didn’t just win; they orchestrated a 32-run demolition of RawalPindiz, officially terminating the challengers’ campaign and signaling a terrifying return to form.
The foundation of this victory was laid by a partnership of pure cricketing poetry. Young sensation Mohammad Farooq (63 off 41) and the perennial heartbeat of Lahore, Fakhar Zaman (84 off 54), dismantled the Pindiz attack with surgical precision.
Their 121-run opening stand was a blend of youthful audacity and veteran guile, propelling Lahore to a mammoth 210-4. While Farooq celebrated a maiden PSL fifty, Fakhar reached his 25th, proving once again why he remains the league’s most feared southpaw.
Defending 211 is a task built for Shaheen Shah Afridi. The Qalandars’ skipper delivered a knockout blow in his very first over, removing Shahzaib Khan and the talismanic Mohammad Rizwan in a single devastating burst.
Despite a valiant 71-run recovery from Yasir Khan (58) and Daryl Mitchell, the Pindiz chase crumbled under the sheer weight of scoreboard pressure and the relentless pace of Haris Rauf. Rauf’s triple-wicket haul (3-??) acted as the final nail, ensuring that even a spirited maiden fifty from Saad Masood was nothing more than a footnote in a losing cause.
“Tonight was a vivid illustration of the gap between a champion outfit and a side still searching for its soul. RawalPindiz had the pieces, but Lahore had the pattern.
What impressed me most wasn’t just the 211 runs; it was the ‘Qalandar Pressure.’ When you have Shaheen Afridi removing a captain of Rizwan’s caliber for single digits in the powerplay, the game is 70% won. But the real story is Mohammad Farooq.
To outshine Fakhar Zaman in a century stand speaks of a changing of the guard in Lahore’s batting philosophy. Pindiz, meanwhile, looked shell-shocked.
Their exit is a wake-up call; you cannot win championships in this league with a bowling attack that allows 100 runs before the 10th over. Lahore is now a freight train with no brakes.”
