PSL 2022 (Season 7): Lahore Qalandars Win Their First-Ever PSL Title by 42 Runs, Hafeez Scores 69

Lahore Qalandars won their first-ever Pakistan Super League title on 27 February 2022 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, defeating Multan Sultans by 42 runs in the PSL Season 7 final. Lahore posted 180/5; Multan were bowled out for 138 in reply. Mohammad Hafeez — the veteran Pakistan right-handed batter and off-spinner — produced a match-winning all-round performance of 69 off 46 balls and 2/23 from 4 overs to earn Player of the Match. Fakhar Zaman (Lahore) scored 588 runs across the tournament as the season's top run-scorer; Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore) was the leading wicket-taker with 20 wickets.

Mohammad Hafeez: 69 off 46 and 2/23 — the Veteran's Farewell to Franchise Cricket

Mohammad Hafeez's all-round Player of the Match performance in the PSL Season 7 final — 69 off 46 balls with the bat and 2/23 from 4 overs with his off-spin — was one of the great individual contributions in a PSL final and a fitting highlight for one of Pakistan's most decorated T20 cricketers. Hafeez, who had announced his retirement from international cricket in early 2022 before continuing as a franchise T20 player, showed in the final that his batting ability, off-spin variation, and match-reading had not diminished. His innings gave Lahore the platform for 180/5 that ultimately proved too strong for Multan; his bowling in reply added to the restrictions that limited Sultans to 138.

Lahore Qalandars: From Founding Franchise to First Champions

Lahore Qalandars were one of the PSL's six original franchises from the competition's 2016 launch — yet reached PSL Season 7 (2022) without a single title, despite consistent participation in finals and semifinals across the competition's early years. Their maiden championship in Season 7 ended that narrative and immediately set up an even more remarkable achievement: they won PSL Season 8 (2023) as well, becoming the first team ever to defend a PSL title and doing so in an extraordinary 1-run final. The back-to-back titles confirmed Lahore as the PSL's dominant franchise of that era.

PSL Season 7 in Context

PSL Season 7 was the first full PSL season played entirely in Pakistan since the competition's early years had been staged in the UAE due to security concerns. The homecoming of Pakistan cricket's biggest franchise competition — played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the National Stadium in Karachi, and the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi — was itself a historic story independent of the final result. Lahore Qalandars winning the maiden title on home soil at Gaddafi Stadium, the ground most associated with Lahore as a cricket city, gave the championship an emotional resonance that extended well beyond the 42-run margin.