For the second consecutive season, Multan Sultans will take on the Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League Final. Having both finished in the top two, the most consistent PSL teams will do battle for the fourth and final time this season. With Lahore having pipped Multan to the title last year, it will be on the Sultans to do what they managed to do just a few days ago in the Qualifier.
How did Multan Sultans reach the Pakistan Super League 2023 Final?
Multan, like they did in 2022, finished top of the PSL league standings. There were some typically consistent performances from captain Mohammad Rizwan and South African Rilee Rossouw was a big presence at number three.
Meanwhile 20-year-old Ihsanullah Khan burst onto the PSL scene with a number of brilliant performances and searing pace. His fellow young pacer Abbas Afridi has so far taken the most wickets in this season's edition. Multan continued where they left off in the league stage with a crushing win over the Qalanders in the Qualifier to reach the Final.
How did Lahore Qalanders reach the Pakistan Super League 2023 Final?
Again, like Multan, Lahore were brilliantly consistent throughout the league stage, thanks in large part to their very strong bowling lineup. That lineup included the Pakistan stars Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, alongside one of the world's best in Rashid Khan. Their batting hasn't looked as strong as their bowling but with Fakhar Zaman at the top of the order, the tone was often set early.
Sam Billings and Sikandar Raza also proved their worth as overseas players with some timely knocks. Having finished in the top two, they rather imploded against the Sultans in the Qualifier before getting back on track with a win against Peshawar Zalmi in the second Eliminator.
What happened in the previous three Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalanders meetings this season?
Fittingly, the first match of the season was played between Multan and Lahore. The Qalanders batted first in that game, with Fakhar leading the way with 66 as Lahore reached a defendable total of 175-5. Multan's tried and tested opening duo of Rizwan and Shan Masood had them very well-set at the halfway stage, reaching 85 without loss. Following a number of twists and turns, the Qalanders ultimately managed to seal a narrow one-run win.
In the reverse fixture in the league stage, Lahore had managed to get to 88-2 at halfway despite losing Fakhar for a three-ball duck early on. Abdullah Shafique and Billings were the main sources of runs as the Qalanders got themselves up to 180-9. The Sultans were slightly behind the chase as they reached 74-2 at ten overs. In the end, the pattern continued as Multan's chase petered out with them finishing 159-7 to leave Lahore two from two in the head-to-head in the 2023 league stage.
In the Qualifier, though, Lahore were unable to make it three from three. The Qalanders did well in the bowling department initially as Multan looked destined for an under-par score. That changed in the last five overs, though, as Kieron Pollard picked up the pace in considerable fashion, along with Tim David, as the Sultans finished on a respectable 160-5. Lahore were never in the chase and were four down inside the powerplay. They ultimately succumbed to a measly 76 all out as Multan grabbed the mental upper hand ahead of the Final.
Pakistan Super League qualifiers reviews
Qualifier - Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalanders
It was a slow yet steady start for the Sultans, before Haris Rauf got Usman Khan to chop on for 29 off 28 with a slower ball with Multan 53-1 midway through the eighth. With the Sultans 70-1 at halfway, the next ball saw Rossouw sky Zaman Khan to Rauf at long-on for 13 from 12. Rashid (4-0-18-1) then went straight through Rizwan for 33 off 29 with Multan 90-3 after 13. Indeed, after playing Rashid out, Multan were 97-3 at 15 as they struggled to build significant momentum.
The fifty partnership between Pollard and David was brought up in 33 balls, with Pollard especially beginning to accelerate as the Sultans reached140-3 with ten balls remaining. The big West Indian brought up his fifty off 31 balls with his second consecutive six off Shaheen, before Hussain Talat dropped a dolly next ball as 20 came off the penultimate over. Pollard then got cleaned up by a 154kph snorter from Rauf for 57 off 34, before another quick 150+kph delivery castled Khushdil next ball. David finished 22 not out from 15 as Multan finished 160-5 with the last five overs going for 63.
In response, Tahir Baig smoked one over deep midwicket for six before nicking behind next ball off Sheldon Cottrell for eight from nine. Cottrell then pinned Shafique lbw second ball as Multan began to make early inroads. Next over, Anwar Ali went through Fakhar to get the prized wicket of the left-hander and leave the Sultans in big bother at 19-3. Shaheen, having promoted himself all the way up to number five, went second ball as Cottrell bagged his third.
Talat was then run out via brilliant direct hit from Usman, before a few balls later Raza skied Pollard to further sink Lahore as they moved to a disastrous 44-6 at halfway. Billings, having been the only one up to that point to show any sort of resistance, picked out Cottrell at deep square leg for 19 off 27. Despite some fun late hitting from Rauf, Lahore were ultimately all out for 76 as Multan won by a huge 84-run margin to go through to the Final.
Eliminator 1 - Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi
Once more, Peshawar got off to a swift start with the fifty brought up in 3.5 overs with captain Babar Azam looking in good touch. The in-form young Saim Ayub then miscued to mid-on for 23 from 16 as Islamabad finally produced a breakthrough after some wayward bowling but Zalmi still go to 77-1 after the powerplay. Islamabad skipper Shadab Khan then had Haseebullah Khan stumped for 15 off 11 after sharp work from Azam Khan. That did not stop Peshawar, though, and Babar brought up his fifty in 28 balls as he guided Zalmi to 109-2 at halfway.
Babar was then trapped in front lbw by Shadab for 64 from 39, leaving Peshawar in a good position at 137-3 after 13. Mohammad Haris then slashed one out to deep point for a typically electric 34 from 17 as Zalmi reached 156-4 after 17, with Islamabad clawing back some momentum. That momentum was then improved further after Jimmy Neesham was dismissed by Fazalhaq Farooqi for two. Zalmi ended 183-7 with Tom Kohler-Cadmore finishing not out on just 16 from 22 as he failed to find his previous belligerent brilliance in the closing stages.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz got a leading edge to third man as Azmatullah Omarzai got his international teammate early on for ten. New man Sohaib Maqsood began to strike the ball well, with Gurbaz's fellow opener Alex Hales facing just one ball in the first four overs. Despite that, the fifty was up in 4.5 over, with Hales taking 18 off Wahab's first as he finally got some consistent strike. Islamabad were well on track at 67-1 after the powerplay, with the fifty partnership brought up in 28 balls.
United were soon 96-1 at halfway with Hales and Maqsood well-set. Maqsood reached his fifty in 39 balls, before Hales brought up his own fluent fifty from 27 balls with a brilliant punch off the back foot for four off Mujeeb. Islamabad were 128-1 and very well-set, but the next ball Aamir Jamal went straight through Maqsood for 60 off 48. Salman Irshad then removed Azam with a full ball that deflected off the pads as the rate began to climb.
With 47 needed from four overs, Jamal produced another beauty to knock over Hales for 57 off 37 to swing the momentum firmly in Zalmi's favour. An unfortunate run out a few balls later saw Faheem slip and fail to get back before Jamal whipped off the bails. A good spell of pressure from Peshawar saw Colin Munro chop on for just four off nine as the game slipped further away from Islamabad with 30 needed from just nine balls. Indeed, Jamal managed to defend the 24 needed from the final over as Zalmi lived to fight another day as they moved on to face Lahore in the second Eliminator, winning by 12 runs.
Eliminator 2 - Lahore Qalanders vs Peshawar Zalmi
Zaman got the breakthrough early as he bowled Saim for nine with one that kept a little low. With Babar and Haris at the crease, Zalmi reached 54-1 after the powerplay which included Shaheen getting through three overs for 29. The fifty partnership was up in 33 balls, before Haris brought up his own fifty up in 28 balls. Babar was then adjudged lbw to Rashid next ball for 42 from 36, before the Afghanistan international got Kohler-Cadmore second ball after the Englishman chipped one straight back.
The 150 was up with 14 balls to go as Haris incredibly scooped Shaheen over third man with the back of his bat to move to 83. Shaheen then dismissed him two balls later for 85 from 54 with a borderline high full toss. Bhanuka Rajapaksa's 25 from 18 helped Peshawar to 171-5 as they looked to prevent Lahore from chasing a total successfully for the first time this season.
Omarzai got the big wicket of Fakhar as he charged the Afghan and was bowled for just six. Ahsan Bhatti skied Wahab's first ball for 15, but Lahore were at a steady position at 50-2 after the powerplay. Another mix up between Shafique and Baig saw the former run out for ten as the Qalanders reached 81-3 at halfway. Baig finally managed to find some momentum and he brought up his fifty in 41 balls. Next ball, though, Jamal got the final laugh as Baig tried to be too clever and ended up feathering one behind for 54 off 42 with 53 needed from seven.
The aforementioned overseas duo of Billings and Raza brought some calm and control to the chase to get the rate down to almost a run a ball required. Then, with 25 needed off four, Billings was cleaned up by Irshad for 28 from 21 with Lahore on the brink of seeing the chase home. Raza was then dropped before being bowled next ball for 22 from 13 as Lahore moved to six wickets down with 11 still needed from 14. Shaheen, though, then finished the match in style with back-to-back boundaries, sealing it with a six straight down the ground as a repeat of last year's Final was set, with Lahore running out as winners by four wicketsnwith seven balls to spare.
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