The Pakistan Super League 8 has been one of the most exciting editions of the tournament in its history. The league stage matches have had packed crowds, high-octane cricket, and young talent taking the stage by storm. The Playoffs are set to add icing on the cake, with Lahore Qalandars taking on Multan Sultans in the Qualifier.
This year’s edition has seen numerous records being broken, such as the highest successful run chase ever, the fastest century, highest individual score, most centuries in an HBL PSL edition, and the highest-ever match aggregate in the history of T20 cricket.
Lahore Qalandars have their tails up as they enter the Playoffs with seven wins, the most they have ever won in the league stage of an HBL PSL edition. They have a dangerous batting lineup, led by Fakhar Zaman, who is the top run-getter for Lahore Qalandars with 378 runs. Their overseas players in Sikandar Raza and Sam Billings have provided the firepower in the middle.
Lahore Qalandars also boast one of the most dangerous bowling lineups in the tournament, led by their captain Shaheen Afridi, who has taken 14 wickets at an average of 18.78. With Shaheen, Zaman Khan, Haris Rauf, and Rashid Khan, they make a lethal pace attack that limits the opposition’s scoring options in both Powerplay and death.
Multan Sultans finished second on the points table, with Mohammad Rizwan’s side taking heart from the fact that his batting chased down the highest-ever HBL PSL and joint-second highest run-chase overall in T20 cricket. Their young pacers Abbas Afridi and Ihsanullah lead the bowling charts, and in the batting, it has been primarily the story of two Rs for Multan Sultans – their captain Rizwan and Rossouw.
Overall, the battle for the prestigious SuperNova Trophy and yearlong bragging rights promises to be an exciting one, with Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans going head-to-head in the Qualifier. The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host the much-anticipated matches of this year’s HBL PSL edition, and the fans are eagerly waiting to witness the exciting finale.
Playoff fixtures (all matches at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore and begin at 1900):
Wednesday – Qualifier – Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans
Thursday – Eliminator 1 – Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi
Friday – Eliminator 2 – Loser Qualifier v Winner Eliminator 1
Sunday – Final – Winner Qualifier v Winner Eliminator 2
Leave a Reply