Lahore Qalandars, the defending champions of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026, kicked off the tournament in style by defeating debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen with a commanding 69-run victory at Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.
Mustafizur Rahman from Bangladesh played a crucial role in the triumph, delivering impressive figures of 1-19 in his four overs. His compatriot, Parvez Hossain Emon, who made his PSL debut, contributed a valuable 14 runs off 13 balls in the middle order.
Rejoining his former team directly after exiting the IPL, Mustafizur put up a stellar performance, delivering the most economical bowling spell among Lahore’s bowlers. He excelled in the crucial death overs, ultimately dismantling Hyderabad’s lineup as they were bundled out for 130 runs in their allotted 20 overs.
Coming in to bat at No.4, Parvez managed to hit a six before being caught off Riley Meredith. His partnership with Haseebullah Khan stabilized Lahore’s innings after a slight setback before Emon’s departure with the team at 131-4.
Earlier, Lahore set a formidable target of 199-6, primarily driven by an 84-run opening partnership between Fakhar Zaman (53 off 39) and Mohammad Naeem (30 off 19). Haseebullah contributed significantly with 40 runs off 28 balls, while Sikandar Raza showcased a quickfire 24 off just 10 deliveries.
In response, Hyderabad’s top order, including captain Marnus Labuschagne (26) and Saim Ayub (17), faltered to leave the team struggling. Haris Rauf, Raza, and Ubaid Shah each secured two wickets, leading to Hyderabad’s downfall.
With this victory, the Bangladeshi duo kickstarted their PSL campaign on a positive note. Notably, this season features a record number of four Bangladeshi cricketers, the highest representation from Bangladesh in a single PSL edition to date.
