Over the first 16 games of the eighth season of the HBL Pakistan Super League, cricket fans in Pakistan and around the world have been treated to some thrilling innings, fantastic spells, and tense battles.
As the championship approaches its final stretch starting tomorrow, Rawalpindi will host its first HBL PSL 8 match when Peshawar Zalmi square off against Karachi Kings.
The six teams' performance in the competition thus far is shown in the table below (order according to the position on points table).
1. Lahore Qalandars (Played 5, Won 4, Lost 1)
For Shaheen Afridi's team, going home has been an amazing experience. They triumphed over Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday before crushing Islamabad United the following night to secure their biggest victory (in terms of runs) in the HBL PSL. Lahore Qalandars have risen to the top of the points standings thanks to their two victories at home in front of a boisterous full house.
The fact that Lahore Qalandars play three of their final five games at home, where they won the championship the previous season, as well as the fact that the Gaddafi Stadium will host the three playoff games and the championship game, will give them encouragement.
With one of the best displays of death bowling starring Shaheen, the captain himself, Haris Rauf, and Zaman Khan, they had an incredible start to the tournament, defeating Multan Sultans by just one run at the latter team's home.
Shaheen and Fakhar Zaman, who led their respective departments for their teams and finished second overall last year and was the top run-getter, are living up to the expectations. Shaheen has taken 10 wickets at an average of 15 and a strike rate of 10.8, while Fakhar has amassed 235 runs at a remarkable SR of 173 and has made two half-centuries. He is one of only two bowlers to get a five-fer, the other being Ihsanullah of the Multan Sultans.
The Lahore Qalandars' batting lineup has improved with the signing of Abdullah Shafique. With quick 75 and 45, the right-hander one-drop has been a key component in both victories at home. If he continues to score goals at a strike rate of 184.61, Lahore Qalandars' supporters are in for a treat.
2. Multan Sultans (Played 6, Won 4, Lost 2)
by winning four out of the five games played at the multan cricket stadium, mohammad rizwan's team took full advantage of the home field advantage. their only losses in the first six games came in the tournament opener and their sole away game, both of which were won by spinners for the karachi kings and a match-winning half-century by tayyab tahir, an hbl psl rookie.
lahore qalandars and multan sultans are tied on points, but multan sultans have a lower net run rate, which puts them second. when they play lahore qalandars on march 4 at the gaddafi stadium, they'll want to exact revenge for their loss. they then go to rawalpindi to take against quetta gladiators, peshawar zalmi, and islamabad united.
Ihsanullah, a fast bowler for Multan Sultans, is a serious candidate for the tournament's emerging player award. The tournament's top wicket-taker and best pitcher by far is a right-arm pacer. In six innings, he has taken 14 wickets for an average of of 9.35. His striking rate is 10.1 and his economy rate is at 5.53. The first bowler to record a five-fer was him.
Mohammad Rizwan, one of just two batters to reach a century this season and the only one with 300 runs, is the most productive batter for Multan Sultans. Rizwan has scored 358 runs, averaging 89.50, with a 141.50 strike rate. In addition, he has hit 37 fours, which is the most of any batter this season, and scored three half-centuries.
3. Islamabad United (Played 5, Won 3, Lost 2)
For Shadab Khan's troops, the outcomes have been a mixed bag. They get defeated by Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, but they also defeated Karachi Kings, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators.
The fact that they will have the backing of their home audience throughout the upcoming round is encouraging, and the two-time champions will be looking to win as many games as possible to end the league stage as the best team.
Hasan Ali's return to form and outstanding player of the match performance against Peshawar Zalmi give their speed attack more agressiveness and potency. With a strike rate of 10.2, the right-arm fast bowler has seven wickets in just three games.
The season's best innings are already in the running thanks to Azam Khan's daring 97 against the Quetta Gladiators. The hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter leads his team in runs scored (170 runs at a strike rate of 175.25), and his middle-order position ensures that Islamabad United can continue to play their brand of all-out attack cricket in the event that the top-order struggles, as it did that evening in Karachi.
4. Karachi Kings (Played 6, Won 2, Lost 4)
Due to the narrow margins in three of their four losses—by two runs against Peshawar Zalmi, by six runs against Quetta Gladiators, and by three runs against Multan Sultans at the latter team's home—Karachi Kings may feel unlucky.
Nonetheless, they will draw encouragement from their thumping 66-run victory against Multan Sultans on Sunday, which was their final home game, and their 67-run rout of Lahore Qalandars.
They will face Peshawar Zalmi, Islamabad United, and Quetta Gladiators at Rawalpindi before facing Lahore Qalandars on March 12 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which will be the final group match of this tournament, losing their home advantage.
The captain of the Karachi Kings, Imad Wasim, has steered his squad from the front. With 180 runs at an average of 90, a strike rate of 176.47, and seven wickets at a strike rate of 22, he tops both the batting and bowling rankings for his team. Tayyab Tahir, who was chosen to play for Pakistan in the ODI series against New Zealand in January, looks to be an interesting potential after scoring the game-winning fifty against Multan Sultans on his HBL PSL debut.
5. Peshawar Zalmi (Played 5, Won 2, Lost 3)
They will be hoping for a repeat of their most recent meeting with Karachi Kings, which resulted in a string of victories, when they play Karachi Kings tomorrow in what will be the first game of this HBL PSL edition played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. They have never failed to make the Playoffs in the HBL PSL's history, and they intend to keep that run going.
Babar Azam, their captain, has been driving the team forward. He has scored two half-centuries and accumulated 178 runs at a 44.50 average. While it is crucial for Peshawar Zalmi that Babar's bat continues to produce runs, they also have two young batters who have shocked the league in Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub, who have both scored 108 runs.
Although the two have very distinct batting approaches, it is impossible to look away from the television when either player is at the crease. Saim's traditional shot repertoire exudes elegance and class, while Haris's breathtaking strokeplay is built upon manoeuvring and improvisation. Haris is your modern T20 batter.
Both have shown success at the top of the ranking. Saim Ayub has two half-centuries, while Haris has a startling 180 strike rate. As the season progresses, the two will be crucial to Peshawar Zalmi's success.
6. Quetta Gladiators (Played 5, Won 1, Lost 4)
They had yet another disappointing season. The Quetta Gladiators have not been able to make the Playoffs since their great season in 2019, and all signs point to a repeat of their last-place result. They suffered crushing losses to Islamabad United (both by 63 runs), Multan Sultans (by nine wickets), and Lahore Qalandars in this edition. Their only victory came against Karachi Kings in the tournament's second game. When Quetta Gladiators play Lahore Qalandars on March 2 at the Gaddafi Stadium, they'll be hoping for a turnaround in their fortunes.
The right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain was essential to Quetta Gladiators winning the championship in 2019. He was the player of the final, and the fact that he is in fantastic form and his team's top bowler is encouraging for Sarfaraz Ahmed's group. He has been exceptionally good, as evidenced by his statistics of eight wickets from five innings at an average of 19.37, and Quetta Gladiators will be hoping he keeps it up as the competition goes on.
None of the batters for the Quetta Gladiators are among the top 10 run producers. Martin Guptill, who scored this competition's maiden century in that victory over the Karachi Kings, is ranked 12th with 151 runs from five innings. They will be relying on Iftikhar Ahmed to perform throughout their final round of league games. Iftikhar has scored 478 runs at an average of 47.80 and a strike rate of 148.44 to rank third among T20 batters this season.
