RAWALPINDI: Two-time champions Lahore Qalandars held a commanding 26-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi in the high-stakes Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 match here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
In a match that was condensed to 13 overs per side due to rain, Zalmi captain Babar Azam won the toss and sent the Qalandars into bat.
The two-time champions recorded a tough total of 149/8, gentility of knowledgeable opener Fakhar Zamanโs half-century.
The left-handed batter top-scored for Qalandars with a 36-ball 60, dotted with 10 boundaries, counting three sixes.
Chasing a scary 150-run target, Zalmiโs batting unit could only accrue 123/8 and thus submitted to a campaign-ending overthrow.
Lower-order batter Daniel Sams continued the top-scorer with an unbeaten 26, followed by Ahmed Daniyal (24), Abdul Samad (17) and Babar Azam (16), while the rest of their batters failed to amass double figures.
The conquest marked a new low for Peshawar Zalmi as they abortive to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in the history of the marquee league, while Qalandars join leaders Quetta Gladiators, defensive champions Islamabad United and arch-rivals Karachi Kings in the next stage.
The 26-run victory also raised Lahore Qalandars to third in the PSL 10 standings with 11 points in 10 matches, outstanding United, who have 10 points in nine games.
| Teams | Matches | Wins | Losses | No Result | Points | Net Run Rate |
| Quetta Gladiators (Q) | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1.393 |
| Karachi Kings (Q) | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0.514 |
| Lahore Qalandars (Q) | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 1.036 |
| Islamabad United (Q) | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 10 | -0.044 |
| Peshawar Zalmi (E) | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 10 | -0.293 |
| Multan Sultans (E) | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 | -2.449 |
The 2019 champions, Quetta Gladiators, continued at the top with 15 points after playing all of their 10 league-stage matches.
Temporarily, the Kings are second with 12 points in nine matches and will take on United in the last league-stage fixture on Monday as both teams compete to join the Gladiators in the Qualifier.
Particularly, the Kings are in a more comfortable situation as they have two more points than United, who would need to beat them by a huge margin to better their Net Run Rate.
Multan Sultans, who were already knocked out of the playoffs race, over at the bottom with just two points.
