Lahore Qalandars have only won one of the last five meetings between both teams
26 February, 2022
PHOTO COURTESY: PCB
The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) final is set; it will be the defending champions up against the newly revitalized Lahore Qalandars under the leadership of Shaheen Afridi.
The re-run of the HBL PSL 7 Qualifier, which Sultans won by 28 runs, has set the mood for fans around the country as the home team takes on arguably the most consistent team of the tournament led by none other than the nation’s favorite, Mohammad Rizwan.
Lahore Qalandars remains as only one of the six HBL PSL franchises to have never lifted the domestic trophy. However, this will be the second successive appearance for Multan Sultans in the final having won last year.
Following the group stages, both teams looked the favorites to reach the final based on their performances; Multan Sultans have been heavily supported at the top of the order by Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan whereas top run-scorer Fakhar Zaman and skipper Shaheen Afridi have been the stand-out performers in the Qalandars camp.
Multan Sultans became the first team in the history of HBL PSL to register nine victories in the tournament’s group stages. While that might be an intimidating factor, the only game Sultans dropped was against Lahore Qalandars in Match 17.
While Qalandars’ form might not be as red hot as their opposition, the Shaheen-led team remains one the most exciting teams to watch as they became the only team to force a Super Over in HBL PSL 7.
Multan Sultans won nine out of their 10 matches in the group stages and were the first team to qualify for the HBL PSL 7. They finished as the top-seeded team on the points table followed by Lahore Qalandars, who secured six wins including an emphatic 52-run victory over Sultans.
Multan Sultans:
Lahore Qalandars:
Qalandars opener Fakhar Zaman is 15 runs away from becoming the first batter to post 600 runs in a single HBL PSL season. The left-hander has so far tallied 585 runs (12 innings) at 48.75 and a strike rate of 154.35. His tally includes one century and seven half-centuries.
Rizwan has led the Sultans from the front with 532 runs in 11 innings at a brilliant average of 76. The right-hander’s strike rate is 126.96 and his run tally includes seven fifties.
Shan Masood, the Sultans opener, is third on the run-getters list with 459 runs from 11 innings, while Qalandars second-best run-getter is Kamran Ghulam. His 284 runs place him at No. 9 on the leading run-getters list.
Shaheen, like Rizwan, has led Qalandars from the front. The ICC Men’s Cricketer of 2021 has continued his rich vein of bowling form with 17 wickets from 12 matches (21.41 average, 7.58 economy), which has put him at number two on the bowling charts behind Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan.
Sultans’ all-rounder Khushdil Shah has remained the surprise package with the ball in the tournament. The left-arm-spinner has time and again taken crucial wickets for his side and has collected 16 wickets in 11 games at 12.31 and an economy rate of 6.71
Imran Tahir and Shahnawaz Dahani, Best Bowler of HBL PSL 2021, have also taken 16 wickets each at 17.25 and 18.87 respectively.
Qalandars’ emerging pick Zaman Khan has been one of the finds of the tournament, the right-arm fast has collected 16 wickets in 12 outings at 22.56.
The final between Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans is set to light things on fire as two in-form teams take on each other in the final of the HBL PSL 7.
Both teams will be looking to finish a strong season with a win, which will mark a historic tournament win for both teams; Multan Sultans becoming the first team to win back-to-back tournaments or Lahore Qalandars lifting their first-ever PSL trophy.
Here are the details for the final:
