Emerging batter Khawaja Nafay starred as Quetta Gladiators bagged a comprehensive five-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars in the fourth game of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine.
The 22-year-old stroked an unbeaten 60 while chasing a target of 188 to hand Quetta their second consecutive win of the competition while it was Lahore’s second straight loss.
Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan’s anchoring fifty, followed by Jahandad Khan’s blistering knock, propelled the defending champions to 187/7 after captain Shaheen Afridi chose to bat first.
The hosts faced an early setback in their batting innings when Akeal Hosein dismissed Fakhar Zaman (6) on the first delivery of the third over, leaving the score at just nine runs.
Rassie van der Dussen then partnered with Farhan to initiate a recovery.
The pair built a stabilising partnership of 53 runs for the second wicket before Abrar Ahmed brought an end to van der Dussen’s scrappy 15-run innings, cleaning him up in the ninth over.
Farhan then formed a one-sided partnership with Abdullah Shafique, achieving his second consecutive PSL 9 half-century in the process.
He smashed six boundaries and three sixes, reaching a 43-ball 62, and eventually departed in the 13th over after falling victim to Mohammad Hasnain.
Just two balls later, Qalandars suffered another setback when Hosein returned to dismiss Shafique (11), caught behind, providing another breakthrough for the Gladiators.
However, Jahandad Khan took charge of the Qalandars’ batting expedition and bolstered their total with a sensational knock, featuring three boundaries and four sixes, three of which came against Abrar in the 16th over.
He carried his bat through with an unbeaten 45 off just 17 deliveries.
In addition to Khan, Sikandar Raza (18) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (12) also made notable contributions at the death with brisk cameos.
Hasnain and Hosein claimed two wickets each for the Gladiators, while Abrar, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Wasim Jr each took one scalp.
