Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi Tips & Preview – Zalmi Eyeing A Hattrick Over The Sultans

The top two teams of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 –  Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi – will collide in a high-octane qualifier on Thursday, March 14, at the National Stadium in Karachi. The stakes are high as the winner of this enthralling encounter will reserve their place in the playoff final, while the loser will get another opportunity in the second eliminator to reach the grandest stage of the competition.

The Sultans returned to winning ways in the last match after securing a 79-run victory over Quetta Gladiators. The victory provided much-needed relief to the table-toppers after they suffered back-to-back defeats against Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United. The Sultans will be hoping to avenge one of those losses in the qualifier.

Zalmi are on a good run and come into the qualifier with a decent winning momentum. After losing against Islamabad United, the second-placed PSL side defeated the Sultans, Quetta Gladiators, and Karachi Kings. Ultimately, Zalmi finished only one point behind their next opponents after winning six of their ten league stage matches.

The history books back the Multan Sultans to win this encounter. These two teams have clashed 14 times in the PSL, and the Sultans have won ten of those games, leaving Zalmi with just four victories. However, two of those wins have come in the last two matches against the Sultans, making this tie difficult to predict.

Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khan will be the two batsmen to watch out for in the qualifier for Multan Sultans. The latter has a strike rate of 173.71 and has already accumulated 337 runs in just five matches, averaging about 67 runs per match. For Peshawar Zalmi, responsibility with the bat will rest on Babar Azam’s shoulder, with Saim Ayub trying to share the burden.

In the bowling department, Usama Mir and Mohammad Ali have been exceptional for the Sultans. The former has picked up 21 wickets, while the latter has claimed 17. Zalmi could struggle with the ball but will rely on their leading wicket-takers, Luke Wood and Naveen-ul-Haq. The duo has orchestrated 20 dismissals so far.

The toss will be crucial and if the Sultans win it, they will certainly bowl first, as Zalmi have only won once against the Sultans when they have batted first. Both victories for Zalmi over the Sultans this season have been by a small margin, signifying that the Sultans only need a slight improvement to nab the win.

Considering the occasion, the Sultans will push for that improvement and get the better of Zalmi.