If PSL had an option for a reset button, both Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans would have pressed it without thinking about it twice. Two games in, both teams are yet to find their first two points.
Both teams were on the receiving end of Islamabad’s juggernaut in their respective last games, and while that might be the common ground for both sides, their responses have been worlds apart.
Multan, for all their problems, have offered resistance and showed some unmistakable glimpses of structure within the side. Zalmi’s defeats, on the other hand, have been crushingly comprehensive, the sort that herald some deep damage within.
The margin of error isn’t very wide in PSL, and with two games already done and dusted, Zalmi and Sultans find themselves in the sort of urgency they haven’t quite experienced before.
Team Overview:
For a team that has never missed any playoffs in the history of the PSL, Zalmi find themselves in an entirely unknown territory where they are anchored to the bottom. Their latest defeat which came against Islamabad United was particularly demoralising. A 102-run loss inflicted an almost irreparable damage to their Net Run Rate (NRR), which has dropped to a negative four in just two games.
The top order crumbled in sequence, the middle order did not have anything resembling cohesion, and the bowling unit seemed clueless. The rot started right from the top where both Babar Azam and Saim Ayub failed to make any attempt. If Zalmi want to make amends to their ways, they would need repair work in their batting lineup first. The bowlers, too, were very expensive and have not shown to hold their form so far in the tournament, in their defense, they were not Peshawar’s strongest suit coming into the tournament.
Multan’s loss to Islamabad wasn’t as one-sided as it had its moments. But the gaps in between those moments were too wide for them to overcome in the end. Once Mohammad Rizwan fell while chasing,Multan folded quite meekly. This exposed a lower order which was still trying to make sense of what was happening.
Multan’s death bowling has lacked penetration in both games. Although against Islamabad they found regular scalps in the last overs, they were too expensive for those dismissals to make any sort of impact.
Their batting, also, continues to hinge largely on Rizwan and some powerplay flashes of brilliance from the top order batters. The middle order batters have yet to find any rhythm.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Both teams have played 16 matches against each other, with Multan Sultans winning 11 games and Peshawar ending as the better side in five matches.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Rawalpindi has offered plenty of help to batters. Barring the opening game of the PSL, teams batting second have failed immensely to hold on to their chances. There has been something for the spinners in the surface as well. And that something has surged in its love for spinners and slow bowlers after the number of games that were played here.
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
