As Lahore Qalandars beat Multan Sultans in the final to win their maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) title, Shaheen Shah Afridi has become the youngest ever captain to win a major T20 league. The 21-year old Afridi surpassed the record of Steven Smith who won a BBL title at the age of 22 for his team Sydney Sixers in 2012.
Shaheen Shah Afridi delivered a spell of 3/30 in the final
“It’s a great achievement. We have been waiting for 6 years and I want to thank the Lahore crowd. They have come out in numbers and supported us throughout.” Shaheen Shah Afridi said after winning the PSL on Sunday.
He also his team’s spirit to fight till the very end. He also thanked senior players like Mohammad Hafeez who guided him throughout the tournament.
“A lot of people supported me, Hafeez guided me during a lot of pressure moments so thanks to all who supported me. The fight we showed as a team throughout the tournament is really fantastic and we had that attitude to fight till the last ball,” he added.
It’s quite an achievement for Lahore Qalandars since they played playoffs games without the services of Rashid Khan who is currently playing for Afghanistan in the series against Bangladesh.
It has been quite a journey for Shaheen Shah Afridi who recently won the ICC Men’s Cricketer of 2021 award as well and earlier in the T20 World Cup, he bowled a dream spell against India.
In the first 4 years of PSL, Lahore Qalandars finished at the bottom of the league, then in the fifth edition they finished as runners-up, and again in the sixth edition, they finished at no.5.
On Sunday Lahore elected to bat first after winning the toss and posted a total of 180/5 in 20 overs. Mohammad Hafeez anchored the innings with a knock of 69 (46) and at the end, Harry Brook and David Wiese gave them a flourish in the final overs.
In reply Multan Sultans never looked like chasing the target as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. They eventually got out for 138. Skipper Afridi led from the front with a spell of 3/30 and Hafeez also chipped in with two crucial wickets.