Sikandar Raza’s 24-hour cricket odyssey ends with a PSL title — you won’t believe how
Sikandar Raza’s 24-hour cricket odyssey ends with a PSL title — you won’t believe how
Sikandar Raza delivered a match-winning performance for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League final, just over 24 hours after playing for Zimbabwe against England at Trent Bridge.
On Saturday, Raza scored 60 runs in Nottingham before Zimbabwe suffered a heavy defeat. The early finish gave him just enough time to hop across continents: dinner in Birmingham, breakfast in Dubai, lunch in Abu Dhabi, and dinner in Lahore, where he arrived just 10 minutes before the toss.
At 39, Raza calls this whirlwind “the life of a professional cricketer,” and says he’s “humbled and blessed.”
Needing 202 to win, Raza came in with Lahore requiring 57 from just 20 balls. He wasted no time, smacking Mohammad Amir for a four and a six off consecutive deliveries to tilt momentum. Then Kusal Perera unleashed three sixes and two fours in quick succession.
With 13 runs needed off the final over, Raza calmly lifted a flat six over point and whipped a four through mid-wicket to seal a thrilling victory with one ball remaining.
Earlier, Raza contributed with the ball too, dismissing Rilee Rossouw and finishing with 1-43. His heroics capped Lahore’s run of three knockout wins, clinching its third PSL title in four years.
Raza’s journey, from Test cricket in England to PSL glory in Pakistan within 48 hours, is a remarkable testament to the demands and rewards of modern professional cricket.
