Quetta Gladiators (QG) and Lahore Qalandars (LQ) have played three Pakistan Super League (PSL) finals each, and they are all set to play their fourth. At a glance, Lahore come across as the more successful side, with two trophies against Quetta’s one, and their unbeaten record in finals at Gaddafi Stadium.
But Quetta have had a tournament unlike any side this season. It has been as measured as it’s been menacing. They have the second-best win-to-loss ratio (4.000) among all PSL teams, in all seasons. One of their only two stutters this season did come against LQ. And, as part of a conspiracy to save the drama for the final, the reverse fixture between the two, played in Lahore, was washed out after Lahore Qalandars had just started dispatching the bowlers all around.
But that’s the thing with T20 cricket, it’s as mercurial as it is deceptive, hence no amount of stats or records from the past has ever managed to predict which way the trophy will tilt.
And by the same logic, Lahore weren’t the ideal candidate to meet Quetta in the final. Not with the form they had the entire season, which kept rollercoasting throughout, to the point that they were one defeat away from crumbling in the group stages. But what’s important is, they didn’t. Not against Peshawar Zalmi in the group stages. Not versus Islamabad United and Karachi Kings, both of whom were relatively better placed, in the playoffs.
So again, it matters not whether they come scathed all over, and with half their original squad now dispersed. What matters is they are here, as equals to the unsullied Quetta juggernaut, ready to face them with their home crowd forming the background noise, to give it all they have for a third trophy.
Team Overview:
Hasan Nawaz has lived through a dream this season. Coming in to bat as early as one down and as late as No. 7, he has maintained an average of 53.38 while striking at a high 159. With Saud Shakeel, Finn Allen, and Rilee Rossouw forming a reliable yet very explosive top order, Nawaz’s ability to adjust to different positions has really been what made them stand out this year. Their punt on signing replacement players like Avishka Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal, who hadn’t played the format for months before they joined Quetta, has paid off well in the Qualifier against Islamabad. And it’s almost a luxury to have a bowling lineup that keeps on giving, always. Quetta bowlers have the best average and economy rate among all teams this year, and that should hardly amaze anyone because their brilliance has been on show all season long.
And this is exactly what will make this final more exciting, with Lahore having an equally incisive bowling attack. Though they would have loved Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan, their regular weapons since the last few seasons, to show up in their usual colours. If Lahore’s think tank felt any sort of FOMO with Rashid Khan not being available this season, Rishad Hossain went out of the way to end that. He boasts the best average among all bowlers with more than 10 wickets this season. Their job becomes easier with Salman Mirza now having shown his genius too, having taken seven wickets in just three matches. And their bowling lineup is hardly the only thing that has kept them afloat this season. All of their top three feature in the highest run-getters list this PSL, with Fakhar Zaman just an arm’s length away from soaring off with the green cap.
Head-to-Head Matches:
In the 20 matches Lahore and Quetta have faced each other in, Lahore leads the matchup, having won 10 games against Quetta’s nine.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Lahore clouds used the PSL day off to dump as much rain out of them as they could, to ensure a clear sky for the final. Lahore has been the fairest of all PSL venues, with nearly equal chances for batters and bowlers. Gaddafi Stadium has seen high-scoring games; it has also seen some low-scoring thrillers. However, since the PSL’s resumption, all games have seen at least one innings total going in excess of 190. Pacers will come in handy, especially with the new ball, as they have averaged around 21 this season in Lahore, lower than spinners’ 29.
Prediction:
Lahore have plenty favouring them, but if one thing Quetta has done this season, it’s defy expectations.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: A Sports, PTV Sports, Tapmad, Tamasha, Walee Technologies, Myco App, Begin
India: FanCode App, Sony Sports Network
Africa: Super Sports
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan: Sony Sports Network
North America: Willow TV
MENA: MYCO
Rest of the World: Sports CentralPSL 2025: QG vs LQ, Final Match Preview, Prediction and Live Streaming
