KARACHI: The ninth HBL Pakistan Super League season will end with a title-deciding match between a squad that has recently struggled in the finals and a team that never knows how to lose one.
Multan Sultans will play in their third consecutive PSL final here at the National Bank Stadium on Monday. The first one saw them win their first trophy, but the other two saw them lose to Lahore Qalandars – by 42 runs in 2022 and by a heartbreaking one run in the previous year.
They will face Islamabad United, who have advanced to the championship game for the first time in six seasons, as they attempt to win the championship again. In their two previous meetings with the team, in 2016 and 2018, they emerged victorious.
United, headed by all-around sensation Shadab Khan of Pakistan, entered the final with the perfect amount of momentum after defeating Peshawar Zalmi in the second eliminator on Saturday.
Prior to then, United had defeated Sultans by chasing down 229 runs, which gave them a psychological advantage over the team captained by Mohammad Rizwan.
The Sultans’ two consecutive finish as runners-up may appear like a case of bad luck, but that isn’t how the players in the team perceive it. Their captain Rizwan has given them instructions to work even harder on Monday.
As Usman Khan of the Sultans noted in a conversation with Dawn on Saturday, “We lost by one run last year and that too by very close margins this season.” “We should work hard to avoid that one ball or that one moment that could potentially let us down at the end of the game,” says Rizwan.
Many in the cricketing community have asked for Rizwan to be named Pakistan’s captain due to his proactive demeanour on the field as a leader of his pack and his astute decision-making, which have proven outstanding once again this season. Rizwan is a wicketkeeper/batter.
Usman said, “He tells us to enter the ground with a champion’s mindset before every match.” “And the way you all pull together even when we make mistakes is what keeps our spirits up.”
With the assistance of two centuries from Rizwan, Usman has amassed 373 runs at an astounding average of over 124 in just six games this season. In the league’s batting rankings, he is ranked third only behind Rizwan, who is in second position with 373 runs.
Shadab, Rizwan’s opponent, is close behind in terms of runs scored and wickets claimed. With a strike-rate of around 147, he has amassed 301 runs while primarily playing at number four for United. Shadab has tracked down eleven victims with his leg-spin.
Though Usama Mir of the Sultans is the leading wicket-taker this season with 23 scalps, his average of 15 is half that of Shadab, making him a less deadly spin option because to his slightly higher average.
However, Imad Wasim, who has become United’s greatest asset in the later stages of the competition, is a valuable asset and an experienced player for the all-rounder. In the recent victories over Sultans and Zalmi, he not only proved proficient with his left-arm spin, but also won the game at bat.
“He is among the world’s top all-rounders at the moment,” Shadab declared following the Zalmi game. “Considering how he has defeated us in our last three knockout games, you can’t question his abilities.
He is a fortunate addition to our squad.
Imad grabbed the second Eliminator from Zalmi’s jaws with a partnership of 98 runs with Pakistani discard Haider Ali, after the Babar Azam-led team had taken five wickets against United in 11 overs.
Shadab thought such players were worth investing in, and Haider, who has been labeled a wasted talent after emerging as an explosive batter in his early days, smashed three massive sixes to close up the game for United.
He said, “Haider is one of those players who needs more love and respect than others.” “You cannot dismiss them based on a few subpar performances.”
In the championship match, United’s depth and Sultans’ dependability will be put to the test on a pitch that may be a little slower than usual but should still offer value for strong batting.
