After 33 exhilarating matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), season 8 the final comes down to Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans in a repeat of last year’s final.
Lahore and Multan have been a symbol of consistency this season which reflects in their final points finish in the league table at 1 and 2 and both have had similar journies towards the ultimate game.
The winner tonight will join Islamabad United as the only two-time winner of PSL.
Here is all you need to know ahead of the blockbuster game.
Qalandars and Sultans PSL Final records before season 8:
Both the Qalandars and Sultans have contested two PSL finals before tonight’s game, succeeding once and losing one as well.
Lahore was beaten in their first final in 2020 by Karachi Kings while they bagged their first PSL crown last year against Multan.
The Sultans won their first PSL final in 2021 before losing the 2022 final to tonight’s opposition.
Qalandars and Sultans PSL 8 head-to-head before the final:
The two teams have already fared off three times this year, twice in the group stages and once in the Qualifier.
Lahore won both of the group stages matches by 1 and 21 runs but Sultans got the better of the defending champions in the Qualifier.
Overall, the two teams have beaten each other 8 times heading into the final.
Where and when will the game take place?
Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host the contest at 7:00 PM (PKT) after the final was moved forward a day due to expected inclement weather on Sunday (the original date of the final).
Form:
Sultans and Qalandars are both coming off a little wobble in form.
Multan has won three of their last five matches while Lahore has won two of their last five fixtures.
The recent results have gone Multan’s way as well with Mohammad Rizwan’s team on a three-game win streak while Qalandars have just a single win over Zalmi in their previous three games.
But the final is a different beast where form and accolades matter little.
Players to watch:
The key matchup will once again be Multan’s batting and Lahore’s bowling.
Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Rilee Rossouw, Tim David and Kieron Pollard fill all of Multan’s batting needs while in Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah and Usama Mir they have a capable bowling attack as well.
Lahore, meanwhile, will hope that Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan and Rashid Khan can keep Multan’s batters in check but with Fakhar Zaman, Mirza Tahir Baig, Sam Billings and Abdullah Shafique in their lineup, the Qalandars will confident in either inning.
Where to watch the Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars PSL Final?
Ten Sports, PTV Sports, and A Sports in Pakistan will broadcast the game live while streaming is available through Daraz App, Tapmad TV, and Jazz Tamasha.
All things PSL 8 visit here. For more on Lahore Qalandars visit here For more on Multan Sultans visit here.
