Sikandar Raza’s journey to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 final was nothing short of a movie script. Just a day before, he was playing a Test match at Trent Bridge in England. But his heart was set on playing for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL final.
Raza had already made a significant contribution to his team with a stellar 60 runs against England in the one-off Test match. However, his desire to play in the PSL final drove him to take two flights from England. He even drove himself part of the way and transited through Dubai to reach Lahore.
Upon arrival, he went straight to the stadium and played a match-winning innings for his team. His travel itinerary was as hectic as it gets – dinner in Birmingham, breakfast in Dubai, and lunch in Abu Dhabi. He arrived at the stadium just 10 minutes before the toss.
Despite the exhausting journey, Raza chose to take the field instead of resting. Lahore Qalandars needed 31 runs in 2 overs to win, and Raza was on the pitch. When the match reached its final over, the team required 13 runs off 6 balls. Raza then unleashed his explosive batting, hitting two consecutive sixes in the fourth and fifth balls of the over, leading Lahore Qalandars to a six-wicket victory.
His blistering 22 runs off just 7 balls turned the match around. Sri Lankan batsman Kusal Perera, who was at the crease with Raza, also played a pivotal role, scoring 62 runs off 31 balls to help the team win their third PSL championship.
After the match, Raza admitted he was tired but knew his team needed him. He was determined to hit every ball out of the boundary and wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away.