PSL 2024 Multan Sultans became the first team to qualify for the Final showdown, as they beat Peshawar Zalmi with 7wickets and 9 balls left

PSL 2024 Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi, the nail-biting match ever 

PSL 2024 got its first participant for the final match, which will be played in Karachi, on 18th March.

The 2024 Pakistan Super League wasn’t just a cricket tournament, it was a saga of passion, celebration, and dreams of the timeless spirit of the game.

In the 2024 season, Peshawar Zalmi won 7 matches out of 10, in the group league. PSZ finished their spot in the number two position just behind Multan Sultans, with 13 points. It could be 14, just because one match against Lahore Qalandars was abandoned, so points are distributed without playing one ball.

Throughout their group league’s matches, they performed really well they consistently won three matches in a row. Peshawar Zalmi also beat Multan Sultans in the previous group match, played on the 23rd Feb, and won by five runs.

Multan Sultans also performed well, they played some good cricket throughout the group leagues.

Their never-say-die attitude endeared them to fans. These fans are unwavering support, turning stadiums into cauldrons of excitement and emotion.

For Multan Sultans PSL 2024 was not just a journey, it was about the great emotions of players and fans, the inner belief of players, with hard work and determination they proved nothing is impossible.

PSL 2024 Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi Head-to-Head

Sultans have faced Peshawar Zalmi in 10 matches so far. But, the Sultans always showed their dominant side as they won out of seven games, on the other side Zalmi won only 3. 

So, it was a big advantage for Multan Sultans ahead of the match. Previous games will surely give them a winning mindset and a never-give-up attitude against Peshawar Zalmi.

Whenever these two titans faced each other inside the ground the average batting scored 174 runs. The highest ever made between these two was 244.

Most Runs Scored

In the 10 matches played between MU and PSZ in PSL, Sohaib Maqsood(MU), Mohammad Rizwan(PSZ) & Shoaib Malik(MU) were consistent for their teams and scored the most runs. 

• Sohaib Maqsood- 293 runs.
• Mohammad Rizwan- 235 runs.
• Shoaib Malik- 207 runs.

Most Wickets Takers

Multan Sultans won the battle of most wickets takers as their main fast bowler Sohal Tanvir took 14 wickets, followed by

• Mohammad Irfan (MU& PSZ)- 10 wickets
• Hasan Ali (PSZ)- 7 wickets.
• Wahab Riaz(PSZ)- 6wickets
• Kieron Pollard(MU & PSZ)- 6 wickets
• Shahnawaz Dhani(MU)- 5 wickets
• Rahat Ali(PSZ)- 4 wickets

Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and elected to bat first. Because in this knock-out match chasing runs puts extra pressure on any team, that’s why they chose Batting over bowling.

Classic Babar with a slow & steady start

PSZ openers failed to give a good start to their team as they lost their early wicket of Saim Ayub. Babar and Haris built an important partnership of 45 runs in middle overs.  

Though Babar & Haris tried to keep wickets in hand and built momentum they, couldn’t play big shots. 

Babar might have accelerated his inning after Haris got out, but he continued his batting style and missed his fifty as his struggle got over by Chris Jordan played & missed, bowling out Babar.

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PSL 2024 Final, in a high thrilling drama Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans

PSL 2024, Multan Sultans stunned PSZ with their steady and disciplined bowling

Multan’s bowlers were very disciplined and totally in control, they bowled in good areas. Despite their bowling put PSZ in the back seat. Peshawar’s batsman didn’t have any choice rather then defend their wicket and as a cause they were somehow able to put in only 147 runs after losing seven wickets. 

PSZ in pen & paper looked solid and has a batting depth balanced team. But the real test began in front of MU’s bowling attack. The top order already struggled to middle the ball with the bat. 

As usual, the lower & middle order flopped totally to continue the momentum. Look Wood scored some important runs for Peshawar Zalim.

Usma MIr & Iftikhar Ahmed were very economical, these two bowlers gave only  25 runs in 6 overs, impressive.

PSL 2024, Multan Sultans’ aggressive approach finished the match with the remaining 9 balls

The pitch looked slow when PSZ was batting, but suddenly the whole myth changed as the Multan openers came to bat.

Yashir Khan & M Rizwan built a 61-run partnership and gave their team a solid stage for the chase. After 7.4 overs Multan Sultans lost their first wicket as the captain got out just for 15 runs on 21 balls.

Rizan’s struggle ended with his wicket. Rizwan looked down as soon as he made contact and then he almost slammed the bat onto the ground in disappointment. These opening pairs didn’t get enough for their team, again failed to give a good start, though Yashir got his fifty in just 30 balls.

Solid middle order Sealded the victory for Multan Sultans, in PSL 2024 qualifier-1

After two wickets Usman Khan & Iftikhar Ahmed played a mature knock to rescue their ship to the winning line.

These two lower-order batters showed maturity in batting, as they built partnerships and took singles and doubles not depending only on boundaries.

PSL 2024, Multan Sultans Playing XI-

Yasir Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Usman Khan, Johnson Charles, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Chris Jordan, David Willey, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali.

PSL 2024, Peshawar Zalmi Playing XI-

Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris (wk), Haseebullah Khan, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Rovman Powell, Paul Walter, Aamer Jamal, Luke Wood, Mehran Mumtaz, Salman Irshad.

PSL 2024 Qualifier-1, MU vs PSZ in brief- 

Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored only 146 after losing seven wickets.

Babar Azam scored 46(42) highest runs for PSZ, but unfortunately not came in the winning cause.

Multan’s bowler did really well with the ball. Chris Jordan, Usama Mir, Willey, Mohammad Ali, and Abbas Afridi all bowlers took wickets.

• Usama Mir 16-4-2
• Chris Jordan 28-4-2
• Mohammad Ali 13-2-1
• Willey 31-4-1
• Abbas Afridi 21-2-1

Yashir & Rizwan gave a good start of 61 runs for the opening partnership. The rest of the work was done by the lower-order batsman Usman Khan & Iftikhar Ahmed.

• Yashir Khan- 54(37)
• M Rizwan- 15(21)
• Usman Khan – 36(28)
• Iftikhar Ahmed- 22(8)
• Johnson Charles- 11(17)

PSZ bowlers got some lucky wickets, seemed they couldn’t defend their total.

• Mehran Mumtaz- 28-4-1
• Aamer Jamal- 23-3-1
• Salman Irshad- 28-3-1

After the match Babar Azam said

“We were 15 runs short. We started well but we lost wickets in the middle overs. Me and Tom decided that 160-170 was a par score but we did not finish well in the last 5 overs. Whoever comes we will try to win and go to the final.”

“We have to work on a couple of things on our batting and bowling ahead of the next game. It was tough conditions and they bowled well, I backed myself and built my innings. Had I stayed there, maybe things might have been different.”

“Just believe in yourself and as a bunch of players we are confident and we will come back strongly.”

Mohammad Rizwan  the winning captain addressed “

It’s a very happy moment. But still we have one more game and all that effort so far matters in that game, so we will focus on that. If you look at the last year or before that, even the losing matches this season, the finishing touch was not there.”

“We will ask the almighty that we will do well in the final. In any tournament you see, if the bowlers are at the top, then they mostly win. The positive for us is that even the batters are at the top but we can’t be complacent and will have to continue to work hard.

He also said about Yahisr Khan’s batting ” He was a capable batter earlier as well, but what I liked tonight was the way he got beaten first ball and then hit the next one for six, creating that momentum.”

“It’s a surprise that the crowd has not turned up in Karachi, it could be due to Namaz, Ramzan or other things but hopefully, they come down for the upcoming games.”