Franchises owned by Javed Afridi and Nadeem Omar face off in the Qualifier to secure a place in the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2019.
With little challenge from the remainder of the teams and given the history of both franchises in the competition, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators will take on each other as many had predicted.
Run to the Playoffs
By the end of the group stage, both teams finished with an identical record, with Peshawar Zalmi leading on net run-rate (NRR).
Both teams played 10 matches, winning 7 and losing only 3. Tied at the top of the table with 14 points, Zalmi had 0.828 NRR as opposed to Quetta’s 0.376.
The Three Losses | |||
---|---|---|---|
Peshawar Zalmi | Quetta Gladiators | ||
vs. Quetta Gladiators | Lost by 6 wickets | vs. Karachi Kings | Lost by 6 wickets |
vs. Islamabad United | Lost by 12 runs | vs. Lahore Qalandars | Lost by 8 wickets |
vs. Quetta Gladiators | Lost by 8 runs | vs. Karachi Kings | Lost by 1 run |
As evident from above, Peshawar has lost 2 of their 3 games against the team they are up against – Quetta Gladiators. In Quetta’s case, they faced trouble against quality spinners, which were present in Karachi and Lahore’s teams.
Let’s dig a little deeper and answer a few more of the questions:
Biggest Margin Wins?
Peshawar Zalmi has registered a win by 8 wickets only once as opposed to Quetta Gladiators’ three victories by the same number of wickets.
When we talk about runs, Peshawar registered a win by 61 runs against Karachi Kings whereas Quetta registered a 43-run victory over Islamabad United.
Highest Totals?
The highest total of the tournament for Quetta Gladiators was against Karachi Kings, which Quetta lost by one run. The total was 189-7 in 20 overs.
Peshawar Zalmi crossed the 200-runs mark against Karachi Kings in their last match where Kamran Akmal destroyed the opposition while batting first. In 20 overs, Peshawar scored 203-7.
Most 50s and 100s?
Both oppositions have demolished the bowling lineups in PSL 2019.
Quetta Gladiators’ players have managed 10 half-centuries and 0 centuries. Here’s the breakdown:
- Shane Watson x 3
- Ahmed Shehzad x 3
- Umar Akmal x 2
- Rilee Rossouw x 1
- Sarfraz Ahmed x 1
Peshawar Zalmi batsmen, on the other hand, have a similar record with 9 half-centuries and 0 centuries:
- Imam-ul-Haq x 3
- Kamran Akmal x 2
- Kieron Pollard x 2
- Umar Amin x 2
Highest Individual Score?
For Quetta Gladiators, Shane Watson, Ahmed Shehzad, and Umar Akmal are the top performers with the bat. Here are the highest scores for Quetta this year.
- Ahmed Shehzad – 99, 73
- Shane Watson – 91*, 81*
- Umar Akmal – 75*
Kamran Akmal is back in form at the right time and he has the highest individual score for Peshawar Zalmi this season.
- Kamran Akmal – 86, 72
- Umar Amin – 61*
- Misbah-ul-Haq – 59*
Best Bowling Figures
Sohail Tanvir has led the way with his experience, picking up 15 wickets in 10 innings. His best bowling performance was also the best for Quetta Gladiators this season.
- Sohail Tanvir – 4/21
- Fawad Ahmed – 3/15
We all know who’s been the chief destroyer with the ball for Peshawar Zalmi, don’t we? Well, Hasan Ali has taken 21 wickets, the highest ever in PSL history. He has three four-wicket hauls.
- Hasan Ali – 4/15, 4/14, 4/17, 3/15
- Wahab Riaz – 3/17
Probable XIs
Quetta Gladiators
Ahmed Shehzad, Shane Watson, Rilee Rossouw, Umar Akmal, DJ Bravo, Sarfraz Ahmed (C, WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Hasnain, Fawad Ahmed
Peshawar Zalmi
Kamran Akmal (WK), Imam-ul-Haq, Umar Amin, Kieron Pollard, Misbah-ul-Haq, Darren Sammy (C), Liam Dawson, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Ibtisam Sheikh, Chris Jordan/Tymal Mills,
Two wins out of two against Peshawar Zalmi would definitely make Quetta Gladiators favorite for this clash, however, Darren Sammy’s side knows how to win big matches and Quetta has a history of losing against Peshawar in knockout matches. The match will be evenly poised as both teams have played some really good cricket throughout the season. Both have match winners and it will be a great spectacle watching these teams lock horns at the National Stadium Karachi tonight at 7 pm.