NEW DELHI: In one of the most dramatic finishes in Pakistan Super League history, Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza flew in from England and arrived at the Gaddafi Stadium in Pakistan just 10 minutes before the toss — only to hit the winning runs and crown Lahore Qalandars as PSL 2025 champions.
The 39-year-old all-rounder from Zimbabwe was greeted by raucous cheers as he smashed an unbeaten 22 off 7 balls, sealing a six-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators with a boundary off the penultimate delivery of the run chase.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Raza, who had played a Test match for Zimbabwe in Nottingham, England, less than 24 hours earlier, made an unforgettable impact despite the whirlwind journey that included stops in Birmingham, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and finally Lahore.
Who's that IPL player?"Had dinner in Birmingham, breakfast in Dubai, lunch in Abu Dhabi and dinner in Pakistan. I’m just blessed to live this life," said Raza after being carried off the field by his ecstatic teammates.
Chasing 202 to win, Lahore Qalandars completed the highest successful chase in a PSL final, finishing on 204/4 in 19.5 overs. Sri Lankan batter Kusal Perera starred with a blistering 62* off 31 balls, while Mohammad Naeem (46) and Abdullah Shafique (41) set the foundation.
Quetta had earlier posted 201/9, thanks largely to a brilliant 76 by young Hasan Nawaz and a late assault by Faheem Ashraf, who hammered 23 runs off the final over. However, Shaheen Afridi (3-24) and Haris Rauf (2-41) kept Quetta in check at the death.
With this win, Lahore clinched their third PSL title — adding to their 2022 and 2023 triumphs — and joined Islamabad United as the most successful teams in PSL history.
In a season already marked by a mid-tournament suspension due to political tensions, Raza’s last-minute arrival and heroics provided the perfect Hollywood-style finish.
Get IPL 2025 match schedules, squads, points table, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
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