LAHORE: In the face of Lahore Qalandars’ dominance, Islamabad United had no answer. The game to decide which side faces Quetta Gladiators in Sunday’s final of the HBL Pakistan Super League turned out to be a show of Qalandar’s potency as they swept past United with unenviable ease — it was a no-contest in the end.

Now-deposed champions United had started the season with a bang, only to be left limping in the end. The Qalandars had a see-saw campaign but turned when it mattered most — in the clutch moments. A day after they sank Karachi Kings in the Eliminator, they thrashed United by 95 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.

They wrapped up United’s response to an imposing 203-run target with 4.5 overs to spare; skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi leading from the front with incredible figures of 3-3 and ending the proceedings with his new-ball partner Salman Mirza, who took 3-16, taking a superb catch to dismiss Haider Ali.

Half centuries earlier by Kusal Perera (61) and Mohammad Naeem (50) had laid the platform for the Qalandars and with pacers Shaheen and Salman on fire, United folded for a paltry 107. Spinner Rishad Hossain also worked his magic for the Qalandars with 3-34.

Shaheen and Mirza sent the respective stumps of United openers Mohammad Shahzad and Sahibzada Farhan flying in the first two overs as the new ball seamed sharply off the surface.

Mirza returned to find the edge of Rassie van der Dussen’s bat for the South African to get caught behind by a diving Perera. The left-armer got another wicket in form of Imad Wasim, who failed to clear mid-on, where Fakhar Zaman took an easy catch as United reeled at 33-4 by the end of the powerplay.

Salman Ali Agha initiated a fightback of sorts, cutting for four and pulling for six off leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in the eighth over. Another attempt to go big did not fare well for Agha, who holed Rishad out to Naeem at long-on as the scorecard read 72-5 by the 10th over.

United captain Shadab Khan, who too had tried to get his team out of trouble with his 26 off 14 (three sixes), also fell to Rishad, miscuing to find Asif Ali at long-off before the spinner caught the incoming James Neesham off his own bowling as United crumbled.

Naseem Shah’s run out pushed United further into doom before Shaheen cleaned up Tymal Mills and dismissed Haider to end the proceedings.

Earlier, Naeem unleashed an onslaught over United right from the word go, especially taking on Naseem for three boundaries and a six in the fifth over as Qalandars posted 58-1 in the powerplay.

The emerging right-hander swept Shadab for a four before launching the leg-spinner over long-on for six, but another attempt to go for a big shot in the next over saw Naeem get stumped off Imad’s left-arm spin.

Abdullah Shafique and Perera — who had combined to win the first Eliminator a day earlier — hit a boundary each off Shadab as Qalandars reached 93-2 at halfway stage.

However, Abdullah, who had shown immense form in the previous match, became prey to Shadab’s acrobatic dive to his right for a catch at mid-off off Neesham’s medium pace in the 12th over.

But Perera, still at the crease, continued to show his prowess, especially through the off-side, gloriously driving Neesham for four before finding the gap through backward point off Salman Irshad.

Qalandars crossed the 150-run mark after Perera’s compatriot at the other end, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, lifted Tymal Mills over extra cover for six before driving through mid-off for four. The left-hander, however, fell victim to a perfect yorker by Salman after adding 22 off 13 (two fours and a six).

Perera brought up half half-century in 31 balls, pulling over fine leg and slashing over third man for sixes off Naseem in the 18th over, in which the pacer conceded a total of 21 runs.

Asif’s ramp and drive for sixes off Salman before getting dismissed and boundaries each by Perera and Rishad then took Qalandars to a total that was more than enough for the side to seal a place in the decider.

SCOREBOARD

LAHORE QALANDARS:

Fakhar Zaman c Farhan b Mills 12

Mohammad Naeem st Farhan b Imad 50

Abdullah Shafique c Shadab b Neesham 25

Kusal Perera b Mills 61

Bhanuka Rajapaksa b Irshad 22

Asif Ali c Salman b Irshad 15

Shaheen Shah Afridi not out 0

Shakib Al Hasan c sub (Nawaz) b Mills 0

Rishad Hossain run out (Neesham) 5

EXTRAS (LB-6, NB-1, W-5) 12

TOTAL (for eight wickets, 20 overs) 202

DID NOT BAT: Haris Rauf, Salman Mirza

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-13 (Fakhar), 2-83 (Naeem), 3-103 (Abdullah), 4-151 (Rajapaksa), 5-189 (Asif), 6-197 (Perera), 7-197 (Shakib), 8-202 (Hossain)

BOWLING: Naseem 4-0-52-0 (1w, 1nb), Mills 4-0-42-3 (1w), Irshad 4-0-40-2, Imad 3-0-16-1, Shadab 2-0-25-0 (2w), Neesham 1-0-7-1, Salman 2-0-14-0

ISLAMABAD UNITED:

Sahibzada Farhan b Mirza 3

Mohammad Shahzad b Shaheen 0

Rassie van der Dussen c Perera b Mirza 7

Salman Ali Agha c Naeem b Hossain 33

Imad Wasim c Fakhar b Mirza 8

Shadab Khan c Asif b Hossain 26

James Neesham c&b Hossain 8

Haider Ali c Mirza b Shaheen 4

Naseem Shah run out (Abdullah) 0

Tymal Mills b Shaheen 7

Salman Irshad not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-9) 11

TOTAL (all out, 15.1 overs) 107

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-1 (Shahzad), 2-3 (Farhan), 3-12 (van der Dussen), 4-33 (Imad), 5-72 (Salman), 6-88 (Shadab), 7-95 (Neesham), 8-96 (Naseem), 9-105 (Mills)

BOWLING: Shaheen 3.1-1-3-3, Mirza 3-0-16-3 (2w), Haris 3-0-25-0 (3w), Shakib 3-0-27-0, Hossain 3-0-34-3

RESULT: Lahore Qalandars won by 95 runs.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Salman Mirza

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2025