Two of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) extremes meet today. Quetta Gladiators (QG) have already qualified for the playoffs, and Multan Sultans (MS) have been eliminated. So, if there ever were a bigger dead rubber in PSL history, it couldn’t be bigger than this. The game also doesn’t have any sort of impact on the fate of other teams. And on top of that, it’s a day game in a 43-degree hot Rawalpindi. But cricket must go on, even a week after a potential war-like situation.
Multan Sultans (MS), at the start of this season, had the highest win-to-loss ratio for any franchise across all leagues in the world since 2021. But that has changed dramatically this year. They have lost eight out of their nine PSL games and haven’t quite left the bottom of the table at any point. This is especially shocking for a team that hadn’t failed to make it to the final in the last four editions. But the mighty do fall, and Multan will have an entire year to find what caused them to take such a humiliating drubbing.
Quetta, unlike Multan, have turned the tables in the last two editions. After failing to make it to the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, they finally made it past the group stages in the last edition, for the first time since their victory run in 2019. And this year, they seem hell-bent on repeating that.
Team Overview:
Quetta Gladiators will be without a few of their players, including Kusal Mendis, Sean Abbott, and Mark Chapman, all of whom have decided not to return to Pakistan after the ceasefire. However, they were quick to get replacements, with Dinesh Chandimal, Gulbadin Naib, and Avishka Fernando joining the side for the remainder of the tournament. Mendis’ absence might sting a little more, given that he was their wicketkeeper. In his place, Quetta could turn to Chandimal.
They would be elated at the return of Rilee Rossouw, though, whose century in the last game against Islamabad United (IU) pushed Quetta into the playoffs. They will also be relieved that their locally sourced bowling lineup remains unscathed and ever so relentless.
For Multan, their big hopes never really transpired into anything worthwhile. Mohammad Rizwan, the skipper and the supposed anchor, seemed increasingly stuck as the tournament went on. Yasir Khan was meant to be the surprise package at the top, but the real surprise was just how frequently he misfired. Their stubborn reliance on the top order left the rest of the team either overexposed or underdone. Usually both.
No foreign player from their original squad has returned, such has been the nature of their campaign. There was talk of roping in Josh Brown, but his injury forced Multan to look elsewhere. Dilshan Madushanka is here for this one game only, but mostly because someone had to be. The rest of the side looks patched up, temporary, and very much ready for this ordeal to end.
Head-to-Head:
Quetta have played 14 games against the late-starters Multan Sultans but have only won five of those, leaving MS the better side in the remaining nine.
Weather and Pitch Report:
There is a heatwave sweeping the country, and Rawalpindi is roasting at 43 degrees. The ground saw Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings go berserk with the bat last night, so expect a similar high-scoring affair today.
Prediction:
It will take no less than a miracle to see Multan outdo the table toppers, Quetta, in Rawalpindi.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: A Sports, PTV Sports, Tapmad, Tamasha, Walee Technologies, Myco App, Begin
India: FanCode App, Sony Sports Network
Africa: Super Sports
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan: Sony Sports Network
North America: Willow TV
MENA: MYCO
Rest of the World: Sports Central
