PSL WRAP - 3
Follow UsPakistan Super League's initial stage ended with a bang. Though it was a dead-rubber between Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars in the last match of the league phase, it turned out to be the most interesting one.
The best moment in between match 21 and 30 was, Karachi won their first match under captaincy of Babar Azam. In any case, they lost the next match.
At the end of the league stage, Multan Sultans with nine wins were at the top of the table by a six-point margin, which is three wins more than Lahore and Peshawar. Despite a win against Karachi in their last match, Quetta Gladiators failed to make it to the play-offs because of their net run rate. Islamabad United (-0.069) with eight points had a better NRR as compared to Quetta (-0.708).
Fakhar Zaman has led the batting charts all through out the league phase as he amassed 521 runs in 10 innings at an average of 52.1 and a strike rate of 157.4, including six fifties and one century. Among the wicket takers, Shadab Khan (17) led the bowling charts since the start of the tournament. Harry Brook was the latest entrant in this year’s list of centurions. Here are a few moments from the last 10 matches of the league stage:
Gurbaz, the first player to hit a six of the first ball of the match in PSL
The young batsman from Afghanistan didn’t need an invitation in his match against Karachi as he smacked Imad Wasim's first ball of the match straight over the bowler's head. However, Imad won the battle as he dismissed Gurbaz in the fifth ball of the same over.
However, Gurbaz became the first ever batsman in PSL to hit a six off the first ball of the match. And he didn’t stop there, on the third ball as well, he carted one over mid-wicket before he was dismissed.
The Under 19 star bags one of Pakistan’s best as his first PSL wicket
The level of cricket in Under-19 and PSL is of great difference. Zeeshan Zameer, the young fast bowler who had a decent U-19 WC campaign in 2022 for Pakistan made his PSL debut against Quetta. Unfortunately, the young speedster went wicket-less.
However, in his second match, he picked up his maiden wicket and it couldn’t have been any better than Babar Azam. Though he went off citing an injury after the wicket, the delivery to dismiss Babar, came out of the top draw.
A dramatic end
Despite early wickets, thanks to half-centuries by Qasim Akram and Imad Wasim, Karachi came close to chasing 192. However, they fell short by an inch. Requiring eight runs of the last over with five wickets in hand, Karachi should have crossed the line.
But, Waqaz Maqsood was in their way, after conceding a boundary off the second ball, Maqsood dismissed Imad when four runs were needed in as many balls. He got rid of Jordan Thompson with the penultimate ball and brought the equation to two runs off one ball.
Off the final delivery, Chris Jordan looked to push a slower ball through covers, but got an inside edge that popped straight to Maqsood who put it down. Despite dropping the catch, Maqsood was quick to roll it back on to the non-striker’s end stumps to catch Jordan short of his crease. Eventually, Islamabad were denied a win by just one run against Karachi.
Luck didn’t side Will Smeed
In the 22nd match between Peshwar and Quetta, we almost had the third centurion of the season, but Will Smeed missed it by one-run.
Chasing 186, none of his teammates scored more than 25. In any case, Smeed led a lone battle as he accumulated runs on his own. Unfortunately, with one run required for a well-deserved ton, Smeed chopped on to his stumps. He became the second batsman after Ahmed Shehzad in 2019 to be dismissed on 99. Interestingly, his innings of 99 also came for Quetta.
Even Aleem Dar wanted some fun
As most of the followers know, Shahnawaz Dahani is one of those players with the most enthusiastic character. His celebrations, his way of sledging and more are unique.
In the match against Quetta, as soon as he picked up his first wicket, he ran towards the Quetta dug out and started to bow down towards Sir Viv Richards, a mentor and batting coach of Quetta. With the next wicket, he did the same. However, Aleem Dar wanted to have some fun and he tried to intervene in his celebration. All-in-all, a funny incident.
Finally! A win for Karachi under Babar
Babar is one of the most successful captains in T20Is for Pakistan. However, the charm hasn’t worked when he has led Karachi in PSL. He captained one match in 2021 and lost in the play-offs.
This season, nothing went in his favor. He lost his first seven matches of the season and Karachi were out of the tournament. After losing eight consecutive matches, they finally won a match and then lost their last league match. It was a miserable end to their season with just one win out of 10.
The first under-25 batsmen to hit a century in PSL
On the back of scoring over 1000 runs at a strike rate of 140+ in T20s, England's Harry Brook made his international debut (T20I) in the recent T20I series against West Indies. It is the only international game the 22-year old has to his name.
In the match against Islamabad, after his team suffered an early collapse, he came into bat at number five when the scores were 12 for three. He stitched a 101-run partnership with Fakhar Zaman for the fourth wicket. Even after the departure of Fakhar, Brook kept his momentum going and reached his maiden T20 century. At the age of 22 years and 362 days, Brook became the first batsman in PSL to hit a ton aged 25 or less.
Rashid receives a prestigious send-off
Rashid Khan is certainly an asset for any T20 team across the globe. For Lahore to make it to the play-offs, his contribution of 13 wickets at an economy of 6.25 in nine innings, played a vital role.
As Afghanistan are touring Bangladesh for a three-match ODI and two-match T20I series starting 23rd February, Rashid had to leave PSL. In his last match (penultimate match for Lahore) against Islamabad, Rashid delivered a spell of 2/19 in his four overs and walked off the pitch to a guard of honor from his teammates.
Monday night madness indeed
A dead-rubber or not, both Peshawar and Lahore put their full efforts in the last match of the league stage. They had made it to the qualifiers and this match had no big stakes.
However, the way both the teams played this match, it didn’t look like it was a dead-rubber. In fact, the least prominent match of the season was the most entertaining one off all. It went down the wire and Peshawar won the match through a super over. Batting first, Lahore scored only five runs off their six ball as the wily old Wahab Riaz was at his best. It just took two balls for Peshawar to finish as Shoaib Malik hit boundaries in each of those.
Earlier in the match, Lahore skipper Shaheen Afridi showed his ability to clear the ropes is good as his bowling skills. Requiring 24 runs off the last over, Mohammad Umar started off with a wide and Shaheen finished it off with three sixes and one four to take it to the super-over.
