ESPN names Sri Lanka's Kusal Perrera as Pakistan's Khawaja Nafay in major PSL coverage blunder

A slip-up by American sports network ESPN during the second Eliminator of HBL PSL 10 sparked chatter among cricket fans.

In a clip highlighting top performers from Lahore Qalandars’ innings, ESPN mistakenly labelled Sri Lanka's player Kusal Perera as Pakistan's Khawaja Nafay, even though Nafay was not included in the playing XI. The error appeared in a social media post that featured Perera’s photo and score, but displayed the wrong name.

Fans were quick to catch the mistake, pointing it out across social media platforms. A few minutes later, ESPN quietly removed the post and replaced it with a corrected version, properly crediting Kusal Perera for his stellar batting.

The highlight of the day, however, was Lahore Qalandars’ dominant performance. They thrashed Islamabad United by 95 runs to secure a spot in the final of PSL 10, set for Sunday at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Batting first after winning the toss, Qalandars scored a total of 202 for 8. Perera led the charge with a 61, while Muhammad Naeem added a solid 50. Contributions also came from Abdullah Shafique (25), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (22), and Asif Ali (15).

For Islamabad, Tymal Mills picked up three wickets, Salman Irshad grabbed two, and Imad Wasim and Jimmy Neesham took one wicket each.

In chasing the target, Islamabad United collapsed, with all out in the 16th over after scoring only 107 runs. Salman Agha scored 33 runs, followed by Shadab Khan with 26, while the rest of the lineup failed to deliver, with several players falling for single digits or ducks.

Lahore’s bowlers were on fire, with Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza, and Rashad Hussain each taking three wickets, sealing a resounding victory.

With this win, Lahore Qalandars march into the final to face Quetta Gladiators on Sunday, May 25.