LAHORE: Lahore Qalandars opener Fakhar Zaman became only the second batter to cross 3,000 runs in the Pakistan Super League during the PSL 11 opening match against Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.
The milestone came early in the innings when Fakhar, who entered the match with 2,964 runs, brought up the landmark with a boundary off Mohammad Ali on the final ball of the powerplay. The achievement places him alongside Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam, the only other player to surpass the 3,000-run mark in the league.
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Second batter to reach 3,000 PSL runs
Babar remains the leading run-scorer in PSL history with 3,792 runs in 100 matches at an average of 44.61 and a strike rate of 127.50. Fakhar reached the milestone in his 98th appearance, underlining his consistency as a top-order batter for Lahore.
Other leading run-scorers in the league include Mohammad Rizwan (2,770), Shoaib Malik (2,350), and Rilee Rossouw (2,287), reflecting a competitive group of experienced performers in the tournament’s history.
Strong start for Lahore Qalandars
Fakhar’s aggressive start, combined with Mohammad Naeem’s support at the other end, gave Lahore Qalandars early momentum in their campaign opener. The pair put on an unbeaten opening stand of 83 runs in eight overs.
At the time of filing, Fakhar was batting on 46 off 31 balls, striking nine boundaries, while Naeem had made 30 from 18 deliveries.
Playing XIs
Lahore Qalandars: Mohammad Naeem, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Parvez Hossain Emon, Haseebullah Khan, Sikandar Raza, Asif Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Mustafizur Rahman, Ubaid Shah.
Hyderabad Kingsmen: Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Marnus Labuschagne (c), Kusal Perera, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Rizwan Mehmood, Hassan Khan, Hammad Azam, Riley Meredith, Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed.
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