Squad is ready for a pitch invasion for the ages! Lahore Qalandars have done it by the barest of the margins! This was pitched up again, smashed into the empty spaces at cow corner and they keep on running but cannot complete the third one and we are not heading into the super over! This is a final for the ages and will be remembered for posterity! Qalandars are PSL 8 CHAMPIONS! I cannot overstate how amazing Zaman has bowled tonight, showed nerves of steel in this final over! Despair in the Sultans dug-out and joy on the other!
Congratulations to Lahore Qalandars and commiserations to Multan Sultans who end up on the losing side after a closely-fought nerve-shredding contest that went right down the wire! Shaheen Afridi blasted off, and his counter-attacking approach yielded him 44 runs off a mere 15 deliveries, it was a proper captain knock that gave Qalandars a par total on this pitch. Mirza Baig and Fakhar Zaman both got starts but just when they tried to cut loose, they were dismissed by Ihsanullah - who wasn't at his belligerent best tonight - and Usama Mir respectively. Abdullah Shafique played a gem of an innings on the big night, adding 65 runs and thereon Multan Sultans roared their way back into the game by removing Sam Billings, Ahsan Hafeez and Sikandar Raza in single figures. Qalandars progress was beset by the lost of these wickets in a quick succession but then Shaheen Afridi played an absolute blinder and galvanised the team. The skipper was the catalyst behind scripting the title win! Zaman showed heart, valour, skill and composure when it mattered the most and choked Sultans. Qalandars' catching and ground fielding was also sharp. Shaheen's first spell was not menacing but he compensated for that in the second spell and took the vital scalps of Pollard, Tim David, Anwar Ali and Usama Mir. But a major turning point was Rilee Rossouw's wicket when he dragged it back onto the stumps while trying to pull one away off the bacfkoot as Rashid ruffled him with his guile and spin.
Thank you for your company over the last 33 days and we hope you enjoyed our coverage. We'll see you soon for more cricket. It's time for me, Rvel Zahid to say goodbye on behalf of Binoy George, all our members of scoring and commentary team who brought you exclusive coverage of PSL 2023.
Imad Wasim gets the all-rounder of the tournament award.
Best fielder of the tournament goes to Kieron Pollard.
Mohammad Rizwan wins the best wicket-keeper of the tournament award (14 dismissals)
Ihsanullah wins the best bowler of the tournament award (22 wickets and a fifer)
Mohammad Rizwan wins the best batter of the tournament award
Ihsanullah bags the player of the tournament award (first bowler to win this award in the history of the PSL)
Emerging player of PSL 8 - Abbas Afridi (Multan Sultans) (23 wickets, economy-rate 9.45)
Spirit of Cricket - Peshawar Zalmi
Umpire of PSL 8 - Alex Wharf
PSL 2023 started with Qalandars defeating Sultans by a run. Ends with same result. Both matches involved Zaman Khan and Khushdil Shah on the last ball!
Shaheen Afridi: Credit to management, our players development program that gave us some fine talent. The momentum kept swinging throughout the game but we didn't give up at any stage. I think we need to show aggression as a fast bowler, I made up my mind if I get balls in my slot then I will go hard at it. I would like to dedicate this final to all the Pakistanis and I hope fans enjoyed the PSL. Thank you to everyone who made this event a success.
Mohammad Rizwan: Final is a pressure game, we thought we could have chased it given how the ball was coming onto the bat towards the end but we lacked the finishing touch. It was a difficult tournament because every team is tough to beat. We should give credit to the team because there was a notion that our bowling wasn't strong but our bowlers proved it otherwise.
David Wiese: I am pretty exhausted, so many emotions going through in the last two overs, momentum switching from one way to another. It doesn't help when 30000 people are screaming, but I think the team that stays calm wins the game and we had to stay calm and relaxed. I am still enjoying the game, and I will keep playing until I can
Zaman Khan: My heart was pounding in the last over but my captain gave me a lot of confidence and he told me to try my best and don't fear failure. I knew batters are anticipating yorkers so I bowled a few slower ones as well. Credit goes to our management who give us free hand and back us to give our 100 percent on the field.
Abdullah Shafique: The credit goes to the team management, the captain and all the players because we put in a lot of effort and we got the reward by getting the PSL trophy. There is pressure in a final and there is pressure to defend the title as well but our supported us a lot and I consider myself lucky to play for Qalandars.
Sam Billings: That's what T20 cricket is all about, good pitch, what a game of cricket! My first experience of cricket in Pakistan and the noise today is something I haven't experienced in a long time. Two of the best teams rightly made it to the final and what a game of cricket. The wicket of Rilee Rossow was a big moment, and Pollard's catch was another, it was a roller coaster so you just got to stay calm and bowl those yorkers. It's been amazing to be part of this group.
The fireworks are now underway! Lights up the Saturday sky in Lahore. The celebrations will continue till the wee hours of the morning! It was an absolute thriller and the final has lived up to the expectations, it was a see-saw battle and both teams fought their heart out
Shashi : "Atleast this PSL final is not one-sided. What a game!!!"
Hassan: "Well the PSL has ended and how!! What a match!! But I'd like to thank Rvel for entertaining us throughout this tournament. Also, publishing comments was terrific as well. Never have so many of my comments been published! Thank you and I'm sure you'll publish this as well :)" It's been a pleasure to bring you all the live-action! Thank you for your kind words.
Nabeel : "What about the two dots from Khushdil? Cost the game?
LAHORIA : "Even though he leaked 22 in the penultimate over, those 2 runs Rauf saved on the over throw ended up being the difference in the game. "
Raja Bilal : "We miss presence of Rana Fawad in ground :D he must be hapoy somewhere "
Abubakar Shahid: "I know the match is ended but in the hope i am posting that LQ won there first match in PSL8 with 1 run agains MS and now won final against MS with 1 run, its like future was already predicted."
Mustafa Moudi : "Well Deserved win for LQ and great way to end the tournament with a nai biting finish. Just a request, keep this tournament as PSL and not HSL - High Scoring League !!"
Riasat Ali Asad: "Cricket at it's best! Zaman Khan to you beauty!"
Kashif: "six years of patience and struggle following with 2 consecutive win. well done Lahore Qalanders"
Vinod Rajpal: "The pure value of a RUN in a Cricket Match, Lahore has won the PSL Finals by a single run !" You hit the nail on the head!
Oh my word! Another twist in the tale, will we have tournament's first super over? Length ball on off and he thrases it over cover for a boundary, two fielders running hard but in vain as he timed it really well. Rizwan is praying and his teammates are biting their nails
Comedy of errors! What is happening out there? Slower one again in the channel, he goes for the whack through the leg side and fails to connect, Sam Billings throws it to Zaman who fails to hit the stumps at the non-striker's end, he had plenty of time to aim at it and the non-striker was well out of the picture, Shaheen is not amused
Zaman is the real deal! Holds his nerve in these tense moment, pace off the ball, length ball and it holds it line on fifth stump as Shah shapes up for a full-blooded smack over midwicket, missed by a mile!
Getting it right in the blockhole and under the bat, he manages to jam his bat down and connect, they think about a review but then decide against it, would have missed the leg stump by a fair margin
Banged in short just a shade outside off, he throws the kitchen sink at it, it sails over the keepers head and is fluttering away, three fielders converging and yet it lands in no man's land.
Mohyuddin: "Unfortunate for Lahore... There main bowlers leaked 100 runs in 8 overs."
Imran Khan: "You just can't keep Afridi(s) out …"
Usman: "What a poor display by rauf... Presenting full speed deliveries to a tailender... I don't know why these bowlers cant use their brains.... "
Some respite for Haris, slower one dug into the pitch, angled into the body, he stays back and plinks it out to deep square. What an over! What a turnaround we have seen in these last six deliveries! You cannot take your eyes off this game! 13 off 6 required. Who are you putting your money on?
Holy smoke! Abbas Afridi you beauty! Fortune favours the brave as a thick outside edge on this looping low full toss flies over short third for a boundary and Haris is livid with himself, he is down on the ground and knows he missed out big time. Still a delivery to go!
It's in his arc, he swung hard, smearing it over midwicket and it has got enough legs to reach the boundary rope. This game had so many ebbs and flows, Abbas is turning on the heat!
Spanked! No violence, pure timing and joy to watch! Carted over deep midwicket for six, that came off the middle! 22 off 9! Game on!
High full-toss, umpires are checking if its a no ball but they get on with it, bunted down the ground to the right of mid-off and they scamper through a run
Takes the aerial route! Multan still believe! Deposited over mid-on for a six, it was absolutely smoked. Khushdil has the prowess to make this go right down to the wire.
Usama Mir goes without troubling the scorers! Tries to heave it over long-on, couldn't get the elevation and requisite behind this shot and Haris Rauf is safe as a house in the deep
Castled! Goes full and straight, deflects off the pads into the stumps and Shaheen loved it, arms aloft and embraces his teammates! They can sense the victory now.
Fuller and straight towards stumps, plonks it down to long-on for a run
Yorker, drilled down the ground and Haris Rauf ran hard, trying his best to flick the ball inside the rope but the momentum carried him over and he was touching the skirting when he was in contact with the rope, much-needed boundary to bring down the asking rate a touch
Dishes out a full bunger that is dabbed down to cover
Wiese! Wiese! Wiese! You can't keep the Qalandars stalwart out of the game! He catches this miscued skier at long-off like a bird catches its prey, into his bucket hands as Multan stare into the abyss! Caught, as easy as you like, he had to charge in from the boundary rope as the ball was dipping on him but he kept his eyes locked and pouched it safely
Bilal: "I don't like this unwarranted aggression from Qalandars in general and Shaheen in particular. No need to lash out every time after being hit for a boundary." A captain ought to remain calm
Brad: "Following the final from north England and feel that in the end it will all come down to the experience and calmness of Rizwan vs the inexperience and cockiness of Afridi. "
Length ball, wicket-to-wicket stuff, arches out and pushes it down to long for on a run but more importantly, he will keep the strike. Multan needs a Tim David's classic to get closer to the target
Saw him shimming outside off stump and Haris tried to cleverly pull his length back and keep it away from his levers, well he kept it too far away and it lands outside the guidelines
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W |
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | |
Toss | Lahore Qalandars, elected to bat first |
Series | |
Season | 2022/23 |
Player Of The Match | |
Player Of The Series | |
Series result | Lahore Qalandars won the 2022/23 Pakistan Super League |
Match days | 18 March 2023 - night (20-over match) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee |
Over 20 • MS 199/8