Final result
Lahore Qalandars won by 26 runs
Player of the match: Salman Mirza
Result · Pakistan Super League
Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi
Result · Pakistan Super League
Venue par · 130Chase success · 77%POTM · Salman Mirza
Match preview & overview
Lahore Qalandars hold off Peshawar Zalmi by 26 runs in Rawalpindi
Lahore Qalandars beat Peshawar Zalmi by 26 runs in their PSL 2025 encounter at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 18 May 2025. Lahore posted 149/8 batting first, a total that looked modest on a ground with an average first-innings score of 214. Peshawar, who had won the toss and chosen to chase, were undone by a catastrophic powerplay: four wickets fell for 48 runs in the first six overs, and they never found the momentum to threaten the target. Zalmi were eventually dismissed for 123/8. Salman Mirza took the Player of the Match award.
The innings contrast was stark in the powerplay phase. Lahore scored 80 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in their first six overs, well above the ground average of 41. Peshawar's reply began with 48 runs but at the cost of 4 wickets. That swing of 32 runs and two wickets across the powerplay phase made the result, in truth, a formality well before the halfway point of the chase.
Both teams were competitive through the middle overs: Lahore managed 69 runs for 6 wickets between overs 7 and 20, while Peshawar scored 75 for 4 in the same phase. The middle was almost a draw. But chasing a target when four of your top-order batters are already back in the pavilion is a different game entirely.
Pitch report & venue insights
Cricket Stadium, Sector-16 — 13-match sample
Aggregate conditions from 2019. Numbers that tend to decide matches at this ground — par score, chase success, powerplay averages and toss bias.
13
T20 matches hosted
130
Avg 1st-innings score
119
Avg 2nd-innings score
77%
Chase success rate
36
Avg powerplay runs
46%
Toss-field rate
Key talking points
Moments the match hinged on
Headline angle
Powerplay damage proved decisive for Zalmi
Peshawar Zalmi lost 4 wickets for 48 runs in the powerplay and never truly recovered. Lahore had scored 80 for 2 in theirs, a swing of 32 runs and 2 wickets across the first six overs that set the tone for the entire match.
Angle 02
149/8 was well below the venue average
Angle 03
Salman Mirza takes Player of the Match
Angle 04
Head-to-head record still favours Zalmi despite the loss
Angle 05
Toss decision backfired for Peshawar
Betting & analytical angles
Angles the data surfaced
- Top batter markets may be worth examining at Rawalpindi: the ground's average first-innings score of 214 across 79 matches suggests individual scores can be high when conditions are right, though both teams finished well below that mark here.
- Powerplay wicket markets could attract interest given Peshawar's history of early collapses in this fixture; they lost 4 wickets for 48 in the first six overs.
- The 60% chase success rate at Rawalpindi historically makes outright markets more competitive than at some other PSL venues, which may affect the pricing structure for future meetings between these sides.
- Player of the Match markets for bowling performances may be undervalued at this venue given how frequently wicket-taking spells have proved decisive in low-scoring encounters here.
For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.
Frequently asked
Questions about Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi
Who won the Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi PSL match on 18 May 2025?
Lahore Qalandars won by 26 runs. They posted 149/8 batting first, then dismissed Peshawar Zalmi for 123/8 in the chase at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Who was Player of the Match?
Salman Mirza was awarded the Player of the Match award for his performance in Lahore Qalandars' 26-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi.
What is the head-to-head record between Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi?
Across 22 PSL meetings, Peshawar Zalmi lead 12 wins to 9, with no no-results. Zalmi had won three of the five most recent encounters before this match.
Where to watch PSL matches in the UK?
PSL fixtures are available in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket, with streaming via Sky Go and NOW TV for those without a satellite subscription. Coverage schedules and start times can vary, so it is worth checking listings in advance given the time difference with Pakistan.
What is the pitch like at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium?
Rawalpindi is generally a high-scoring ground, with an average first-innings score of 214 across 79 T20 matches. Teams winning the toss tend to field, choosing to chase, and the venue's 60% chase success rate backs up that instinct. Both sides fell well short of the venue average in this contest.
What was the toss result and did it affect the match?
Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and elected to field, which is the standard call at Rawalpindi where 58% of toss winners choose to chase. The decision looked reasonable on paper, but Zalmi lost 4 wickets inside the powerplay when they batted, which made the target of 150 effectively unreachable.
Explore more