PSL 2022: Lahore chase down 171 with Fakhar Zaman’s exceptional hundred

Fakhar Zaman single-handedly took Lahore Qalandars over the line on Sunday evening, 30 January, scoring 106 out of the 171 runs required in the 6th match of the Pakistan Super League. Zaman’s innings, decorated with 12 fours and 4 sixes came under pressure, when Lahore had lost their way early into the game.

While Zaman was attacking from one end, no one was able to stand on their other side and got out cheaply failing to score at a fast rate. Even in the 12th over of the game, Lahore required at the excess of 10 runs per and a sluggish innings from Mohammad Hafeez at the crease meant that Lahore were doing less than required to chase the score down.

Hafeez’s wicket in the penultimate ball of the 12th over came as a blessing in disguise for the Lahore based team and the injection of Samit Patel provided the support that Zaman wanted. With run rate soaring over the head, Zaman had only one thing to do, either collect a couple of boundaries per over or perish trying and he ended up taking the first option in style. He chose to attack the balls that was either bowled too short or in the range of low full tosses and kept putting up the pressure, till the point that the equation was brought down to 9 off 12.

The 18th over of the game bore 22 runs from the bat of Zaman, where he put Mohammad Ilyas to all parts of the ground to complete his hundred off just 55 balls. While he got out for 106 off 60, Zaman by then had done enough to keep Lahore safe against Babar’s men. Samit Patel cleaned up the rest with two boundaries in the final over.

Earlier in the day, Karachi failed to capitalise on the start given by Sharjeel Khan (60 off 39) and kept on losing wickets in the second half of their innings. The first wicket fell on the first ball after the break (11th over) at 84 runs, when Sharjeel was dismissed by Mohammad Hafeez, who found some turn in the pitch. From there it was an absolute disaster as some quick bowling from the Lahore pacers skittled Karachi out for just 170 runs. This loss makes it Babar’s third loss in a row, as they have been drubbed by three big losses against Multan Sultans, Quetta Gladiators and now Lahore Qalandars. Babar has himself looked off colour, being unable to score runs at a fast rate.

Speaking at the post match presentation, Babar accepted that the main difference tonight was Fakhar Zaman, whose three figure score took the game away from Karachi. He stated that the team does need to improve in both departments and hopefully they will get back to the winning ways soon.