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Fakhar Zaman Century Gives Qalandars Crucial Win
Lahore Qalandars 197 for 6 (Fakhar 103, Asalanka 31, Khalil 2-38) beat Quetta Gladiators 188 for 7 (Rossouw 62, Shamyl 53, Rauf 2-28) by nine runs
Abrar Ahmed’s late cameo of 24 off 14 threatened a heist but in the end it was Fakhar Zaman’s searing 103 off 51 that blazed a path for Lahore Qalandars, as they registered back-to-back wins for the first time this season, overcoming Quetta Gladiators by nine runs at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Qalandars Push for Playoffs
The result pushes Qalandars up into fourth place, and with two games still left to play, they will now fancy themselves a playoff berth.
For Gladiators, it was a second straight defeat, which leaves them precariously poised on six points with just one game left to play. With the sides below them all having at least three games in hand, Gladiators will now need other results to go their way in order to qualify.
A Missed Opportunity for Gladiators
And in that context, they will rue a genuine missed opportunity on Tuesday, where for much of the chase, they were very much in the game. Set a target of 198 courtesy of Fakhar’s belligerence, there was a 49-run opening stand, and innings of substance from Shamyl Hussain (53 off 31) and Rilee Rossouw (62 off 29), but unfortunately for the Gladiators that was the extent of it.
In hindsight, Rossouw’s departure at the end of the 15th over signalled the shift in the game’s trajectory. With the South African at the crease, the target seemed short, but once he fell, the innings too followed. Gladiators managed just 31 runs in the final four overs, with Haris Rauf (2 for 28) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (1 for 35) showing off their death bowling chops.
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