HBL PSL Shaheen-inspired Qalandars are champions again.

LAHORE -- It was nerve-shredding and breathless; a humdinger of a final. By the end of it all, there was an explosion of joy - and fireworks - for Lahore Qalandars. Multan Sultans had been floored; so close yet so far, just one run short.

The incredible title clash at the Gaddafi Stadium went down to the last ball; the last action being Qalandars skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi whipping off the bails at the non-striker's end to run out Khushdil Shah as his side became the first repeat champions of the Pakistan Super League on Saturday night, defeating Sultans in the final for the second year in a row.

It was fitting that Shaheen it was who sealed it for his side. The match seemed to have ended as a contest when Shaheen, who was inspirational with both bat and ball when his side needed him the most, picked up three wickets in the 18th over only for Khushdil and Abbas Afridi to keep Sultans' hopes alive.

Haris Rauf was belted for 22 in the penultimate over, leaving Sultans requiring 13 in an eventful final over but Zaman held his nerve for the most part of it, apart from the fourth delivery when he spurned a chance to run out Khushdil by missing the stumps from point-blank, to seal victory for his side by the barest of margins.

Khushdil had sliced Zaman away for four on the penultimate delivery to leave Sultans requiring four off the last ball. The left-handed Khushdil found space on the leg-side but he couldn't complete the third run that would've taken the game into a Super Over, triggering wild celebrations among Qalandars players and their fans.

Lahore become first repeat winners with nerve-shredding one-run victory over Multan Sultans

There was a huge smile on Shaheen's face. He deserved this after coming trumps in the last five overs of each inning - smashing a 15-ball 44 to help his side post 200-6 and then taking 4-51 to help restrict the Sultans to 199-8.

Arriving at the crease with the heart of his side ripped apart by Usama Mir (3-24), Shaheen's explosive hitting had helped Qalandars plunder 85 runs off the last five overs.

It was pure, uninhibited; the lanky Shaheen hitting a towering six over long-on off Usama soon after arriving, giving his side the impetus with a 66-run partnership with Abdullah Shafique (65). It was in the 17th over when Shaheen really got going, pulling away pacer Ihsanullah for a massive six over square leg and then getting four over cover on the next ball. That over brought 24 runs and another six over long-off...