• Lahore Qalandars take on Multan Sultans in the PSL qualifier.
• PSL has already made a case for being the most thrilling in the competition’s history.
• Lahore Qalandars are in good shape as they head into the playoffs with seven victories.

The eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), with its sold-out crowds, high-octane cricket, and new talent sweeping the nation, has already made a case for being the most thrilling in the competition’s history.

The 30 league-stage matches delivered everything a cricket fan could want, and the playoffs, which begin tomorrow when Lahore Qalandars meet Multan Sultans in a qualifier, seem to be the cherry on top.

During the PSL’s eighth season, many records were broken. The fastest century (by Multan Sultans’ Usman Khan off 36 balls), highest individual score (Jason Roy’s 145 not out), most centuries in a PSL edition (seven), and highest-ever match aggregate in the history of T20 cricket of 515 in the match between Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators were all recorded during this season.

Lahore takes centre stage as HBL PSL 8 enters business end

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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 14, 2023

Lahore will be in the spotlight this week as the Gaddafi Stadium hosts the highly anticipated matches of this year’s PSL season as the competition for the renowned SuperNova Trophy and yearly bragging rights reaches its final round.

The Lahore Qalandars are in good shape as they head into the playoffs with seven victories. They have never ever amassed as many victories during the league stage of a PSL season, and the fact that they are the defending champions further increases their self-assurance. They were the first group to secure a spot in the postseason.

The fact that the competition’s championship round will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium would undoubtedly benefit table-toppers Qalandars, who have enjoyed an exceptional run there.

In their victorious campaign last year, Fakhar Zaman scored the most runs, and he has once again carried their batting. The left-hander leads the Lahore Qalandars in runs scored with 378 at an astounding strike rate of 171.04. Since being added to the playing Eleven midway through the competition, Abdullah Shafique (193 at 144.02) has produced great innings, and its foreign players Sikandar Raza (198 runs at 188.57) and Sam Billings (179 runs at 146.72) have given the firepower in the middle.

Along with having one of the most lethal bowling teams, Qalandars defeated Islamabad United by 119 runs to register the largest victory in PSL history. An attack led by their captain Shaheen Afridi (14 wickets at an average of 18.78) is capable of giving any opposition on any day the willies.

Shaheen forms a deadly pace assault with Zaman Khan (12 wickets at 22.08), Haris Rauf (14 wickets at 23.07), and Rashid Khan, whose shrewd spin keeps the batters guessing in the middle overs. This attack also limits the opposition’s scoring possibilities in both powerplay and death overs. Leg-spinners have taken the most wickets this season, with 15 at an average of just 13.

Shaheen said, “I am delighted with the consistency my team has shown in this edition. This team’s foundation is laid on the values of brotherhood and the way everyone backs and supports each other in the field is just a reflection of that,”

“We are very thankful to our fans for their continuous support. We have seen houseful matches in the home of Qalandars where the crowd turns out in large numbers to support us. We cannot wait to repay their faith with another title.”

Multan Sultans topped the points table during the first half of the PSL 8 by easily defeating the opponents at home. Mohammad Rizwan’s team will draw encouragement from the fact that their batting chased down the highest-ever PSL and joint-second highest run-chase overall in T20 cricket, recording the highest PSL team total of 262 in their final group match, even though they have faced more losses than victories since leaving Multan. On the points standings, the Multan Sultans came in second.

Abbas Afridi (22 wickets at 14.95) and Ihsanullah (20 wickets at 14.60), two of their young pacers, are at the top of the bowling standings and have swept the league. Abbas stepped up admirably in the final two matches of the Rawalpindi leg to grab nine wickets in two outings. He is one of just three bowlers this season to earn a five-wicket haul. The batsmen’ lives have been made harder by Ihsanullah’s quick pace and flawless length bowling. Usama Mir, a leg-spinner with 12 wickets at 25.41, has contributed significantly in the middle overs and has shown flashes of his potential as a tailender.

For Multan Sultans, two Rs have mostly been the tale of their batting. With 483 runs at 145.04, their captain Rizwan is the tournament’s most productive batter, and Rossouw ranks fourth with 388 runs at 176.36. Usman Khan, a right-handed opener for Multan Sultans, made headlines in the last group game with the fastest century in tournament history. He reached 100 runs in just 36 balls and set his team up for a massive 262 run total. The depth of this side’s ranks is further demonstrated by this.

Rizwan said, “The first half of the tournament went really well for us and then we lost the way in between. But, I am very happy with how we have made a comeback strongly and ensured that we qualify for the playoffs,”

“We enter the playoffs with some great fighting spirit and that is what is needed towards the backend of a tournament like the PSL. You need to have that confidence that you can bounce back from any situation and that record run chase and then exceptional performances from our youngsters like Usman Khan, Abbas Afridi and Ihsanullah have instilled belief in us that we can come back from anywhere. We are eyeing our third consecutive PSL final now, and, with the help of Allah Almighty, we will try to lift the trophy this time.”

On Thursday, the first eliminator between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi will take place. The losing team will be eliminated from the competition. On Friday, the victor of the qualifier will play the loser.

Islamabad United, the only team to win the PSL title twice, has had another successful year. In the league stage, they have won six games, but their relentless attack has also caused them to falter in the three games they have lost. Before Lahore Qalandars handed them the harshest defeats by 110 runs in Lahore and 119 runs in Rawalpindi, their only game was tarnished by a 52-run loss in Multan.

It is encouraging for the Shadab Khan-captained team as Faheem Ashraf (210 at 147.88) and Hasan Ali (12 wickets at 21.66) have gained their stride. Azam Khan has been playing at his most destructive level, smashing 280 runs in eight innings with a strike rate of 162.79.

Islamabad United will bet on their prospects of capturing the coveted championship for a third time since they have a tight-knit group of T20 specialists that has the capacity to go all the way.

Shadab Khan said, “It has been an exciting season for us, but now we are focused on the future. As a captain, I am pleased with how the players have performed and especially how youngsters have raised their hands in tough situations. The results are not something you can control, but as a team, it is important to remain consistent in your processes and know what you are playing for.

“I am pretty confident with our chances. We have lifted the PSL trophy twice and there is no doubt that we can do it for the third time.”

Although Peshawar Zalmi was the last team to secure a spot in the playoffs, there are no doubts about their capability to contend with any of the other three teams. By elevating young Saim Ayub to the top of the order, they have struck gold and created one of the classiest and most potent opening pairings. In three matches of opening together, Saim and Babar Azam have already generated a partnership of over 150 and over 100 that also produces telling run rates.

Saim has scored the most half-centuries in the competition (five in ten games) and has 309 runs overall with a strike rate of 167. Their skipper Babar, who this year achieved his first PSL century, is ranked second among all active players with 416 runs at a batting average of 146.47. Middle-order firepower is provided by young players Mohammad Haris and Haseebullah along with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, but it is concerning that they have repeatedly enabled the opposition to chase totals above 240.

Wahab Riaz has been their most productive bowler, taking nine wickets in as many games, but they will happily rely on the pacer’s expertise to perform well in the playoffs with other pacers Arshad Iqbal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Aamir Jamal, and Jimmy Neeshan playing supporting roles.

Babar said, “I am very happy to see how the youngsters in Peshawar Zalmi have stepped up and made their potential known to the world. Saim Ayub, Muhammad Haris, Haseebullah and Arshad Iqbal have been outstanding and I am backing them to continue to perform and deliver in the Playoffs.”

“While our batting has done wonderfully well, we need to fix some of the loopholes in our bowling department and I am sure that we will also emerge as a strong bowling unit in Lahore.”

Playoff fixtures

All matches will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium at 7pm.

Wednesday (March 15) – Qualifier – Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans

Thursday (March 16) – Eliminator 1 – Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi

Friday (March 17) – Eliminator 2 – Loser Qualifier v Winner Eliminator 1

Sunday (March 19) – Final – Winner Qualifier v Winner Eliminator 2

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