Rishad Hossain played a crucial role with the ball in Lahore Qalandars’ journey to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final. Impressed by the young Bangladeshi leg-spinner’s performance, Lahore’s team director gifted him a 24-carat gold-plated iPhone 16 Pro.
On Friday night (May 23), Lahore Qalandars secured a commanding 95-run win over Islamabad United in the second qualifier to book their spot in the PSL final. Chasing a target of 202, Islamabad was bowled out for just 107.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, and Rishad Hossain led the bowling charge for Lahore, each claiming three wickets.
Rishad didn’t start well, conceding 14 runs in his first over. However, he bounced back brilliantly. In his second over, he dismissed the dangerous Salman Ali Agha with his first delivery. He then got into a psychological battle with the batters in his third over—after being hit for a six, he took a wicket the very next ball. He removed Shadab Khan and followed it up with a caught-and-bowled dismissal of Jimmy Neesham. He finished with 3 wickets for 34 runs in 3 overs.
Rishad’s impressive performance against three batters known for playing spin well deeply impressed Lahore’s team director, Samin Rana. After the match, in the dressing room, Rana praised Rishad and gifted him a gold-plated iPhone.
Samin Rana said, “Resting Zaman was a very tough decision. Shahid (Afridi) and I discussed it a lot. We decided to bring in Rishad, and I am proud of him. Rishad, you truly made us proud today. Under pressure, you dismissed their key batters—Salman, Shadab, and Neesham—who are known to play spin well. You deserve an iPhone.”
As the team applauded, some players even shouted “Bhalobashi, Bhalobashi” (Bengali for “I love you”). Samin Rana echoed the sentiment, telling Rishad, “I love you.”
Rishad wasn’t the only player to receive the premium gift. Earlier, Sri Lankan batter Kusal Perera, who scored 61 off 35 balls, Mohammad Naeem, who hit 50 off 25 balls, and Salman Mirza, who took 3 wickets for just 16 runs, also received iPhones for their match-winning performances.
UA / TDS
