In the fourth match of PSL 9, Quetta Gladiators secured a five-wicket victory over Lahore Qalandars, propelled by the stellar performance of local sensation Khawaja Nafay, who remained unbeaten with a blistering 31-ball 60*.
Lahore Qalandars won the toss and opted to bat first, despite facing defeat in their previous encounter against Islamabad United when batting first on the same ground. The opening over, bowled by left-arm spinner Akeal Hossain, saw an early dropped catch by all-rounder Mohammad Wasim Jr. Fakhar Zaman, benefiting from a dropped chance on the second ball, failed to capitalize and was dismissed for just 6 runs.
Sahibzada Farhan, in fine form, anchored the innings with a composed 43-ball 62. The emergence of newcomer Jahandad Khan added excitement as he showcased his power-hitting skills, accumulating 45 runs from just 17 balls, including three sixes off Abrar Ahmed in the 16th over.
Also Read: Youngsters Jahandad Khan and Khawaja Nafay Shine in PSL 9
Akeal Hossain, Quetta Gladiators’ left-arm orthodox spinner, emerged as the standout bowler with figures of 4-0-17-2, which included 11 dot balls, contributing significantly to restricting Lahore Qalandars to a total below 200.
Quetta Gladiators’ chase began with an early reprieve for English opener Jason Roy, dropped by Fakhar Zaman on a duck. Roy survived another scare as Zaman Khan dropped him again, this time at short third-man. However, his innings was cut short as he was bowled by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza for 24 runs.
The standout performer of the match, Khawaja Nafay, showcased his talent with an unbeaten 60*, guiding Quetta Gladiators to their second victory of the season. Nafay, who previously played in the Bangladesh Premier League, impressed the Quetta supporters with his resilient knock while batting at number three.
Saud Shakeel provided valuable support to Nafay, accelerating the run rate during the powerplay with a quickfire 23-ball 40, including seven boundaries and one six. Their partnership ensured Quetta Gladiators maintained a run rate of 10 runs per over in the initial six overs.
Khawaja Nafay was rightfully awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding contribution to Quetta Gladiators’ victory.
