Islamabad, 21 April 2025: The light-hearted rivalry between PSL teams took a shiny turn as Lahore Qalandars gifted Shaheen Shah Afridi, a gold-plated iPhone 16 Pro.
The gesture was seen by many as a tongue-in-cheek response to Karachi Kings’ recent offbeat award choices.
The Qalandars posted a video on their official social media platforms showing team management handing over the 24k gold-plated phone to Afridi.
The clip appeared to be a humorous jab at Karachi’s decision to reward English batter James Vince with a hair dryer for his match-winning hundred earlier this month.
Read More: PSL 10, Match 11: How to Watch Peshawar Zalmi Vs Karachi Kings
Karachi Kings had raised eyebrows on April 12 when Vince was handed the ‘Most Reliable Player of the Match’ award by sponsor Dawlance.
His blazing 42-ball century had helped his side clinch a dramatic four-wicket win over Multan Sultans.
The prize — an electric hair dryer — sparked widespread amusement online.
Vince himself joined the fun, joking on Instagram that it was a “lovely upgrade on the hotel dryer,” a post that quickly went viral and ignited a flurry of memes across cricketing circles.
Doubling down on the quirky trend, the Kings then presented pacer Hasan Ali with a beard trimmer following his 4/28 spell against Lahore Qalandars — a match Karachi lost by 65 runs.
Read More: PSL 10: Updated Points Table After Match 10
In contrast, Lahore’s grand gesture was seen by fans as both playful and pointed, turning the spotlight back on Karachi’s unconventional prize distribution.
Social media reactions ranged from admiration for the leadership of Shaheen to sarcastic digs at Karachi’s award choices.
While the PSL is no stranger to banter and bold marketing, many observers hope the focus will return to the game itself rather than off-field antics.
For now, though, it seems the battle of the awards has become as entertaining as the cricket on display.
