Sikandar Raza scripted a fairy-tale finish to PSL 2025, playing a late match-winning cameo to seal a third trophy for Lahore Qalandars.
On what was the scheduled fourth day of the England-Zimbabwe Test match, Sikandar Raza, almost miraculously, not only turned out for his PSL side in the final against Quetta Gladiators, but also took them over the finish line.
Chasing 202, Lahore looked well on course at 115-2 in the 13th over when Abdullah Shafique was dismissed for 41 off 28. A four-over lull followed where only 30 runs were scored off 25 balls. Raza came in at No.6 with Lahore needing 57 off 3.2 overs and started with a bang: a first-ball four and a second-ball six off Mohammad Amir to bring the equation down to 47 off the last three.
Kusal Perera hit two sixes in the next over and a four off the first ball of the 19th. By the time Raza next came on strike, Lahore needed 25 off 10. He managed to get off strike as Perera finished the over with another six and four bringing the equation to a very gettable 13 off the last over.
A wide, two singles, and a double later, Lahore needed eight off three balls when Raza smoked a six and four off Faheem Ashraf to win his team the game with one ball remaining.
Final, Quetta Gladiators vs Lahore Qalandars
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Finishing unbeaten on 22 off seven balls, this has become the quickest knock of seven balls or more while chasing in a PSL final.
In fact, across all T20 competition finals in the history of the format, only three knocks have been played at a strike rate equal to or more than Raza's 314.28 in a successful run-chase: Dinesh Karthik's 29 (8)* vs Bangladesh in the Nidahas Trophy final, Carlos' Brathwaite's 34 (10)* in the 2016 T20 World Cup final, and Scott Kuggeleijn's 22 (7)* in the 2013/14 HRV Twenty20 (now Super Smash) final.
Trent Bridge to Gaddafi Stadium: Sikandar Raza's thriling 24 hours
Raza's journey to the PSL final was a dramatic one. Having scored 60 off 68 on day three of the England-Zimbabwe Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday (May 24), Raza rushed to Pakistan in hopes of making it in time for the PSL final on Sunday (May 25).
According to reports, the Zimbabwe all-rounder only landed in Pakistan ten minutes before the toss as his team were ready with a contingency team sheet to go ahead without him had he not reached in time. Makins his way straight from the airport to the ground, Raza first bowled four overs for 43-1 in the first innings as Quetta Gladiators piled up 201-9 on the board. The only wicket he picked was an important one, that of Rilee Rossouw, who was batting on 22 off 10.
Raza finished PSL 2025 with 254 runs at a strike rate of 169.33 and 10 wickets at an economy of 7.75 to his name.
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