The Lahore Qalandars are Champions of the Pakistan Super League – Can They Win It Again Next Season?

Pixabay

Cricket in Pakistan is like soccer in Brazil. Pakistan also has the privilege of hosting some very popular local cricket sporting events. The 8th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was held in Punjab and the Lahore Qalanders had a good season. They defeated the Multan Sultans for the second time in the finals.  

The Pakistan Super League was established in 2015 and is a professional Twenty20 professional league. It is also one of the biggest professional leagues in the country. It all started with five teams in the league and a sixth one was added in 2018.  The PSL had a high profit of $2.6 million in its first season according to the Pakistan Cricket Board  (PCB).

The PCB is sponsored by Habib Bank Limited (HBL) which is also considered the largest bank in Pakistan. It started with a three-year contract which was signed for $5 million for each year. The contract was later on renewed for another three years (2019 -2021) and the sponsorship raised to $14.3 million for each year.

Tournament Line UP

These were the players lined up for the 2023 PSL for Lahore Qalanders:

Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, David Wiese, Harry Brook, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Hussain Talat, Fakhar Zaman, Sikandar Raza, Dilbar Hussain, Liam Dawson, Mirza Tahir Baig, Shawaiz Irfan, Ahmed Danlyal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Jordan Cox, Ahsan Bhatti, Jalat Khan, Shane Dadswell (replacement for Harry Brook), Sam Billings (partially replacing for Rashid Khan), Kusal Mendis (partially replacing for Jordan Cox), Shai Hope (replacing for Kusal Mendis)

The Qalandars Performance in the PSL

Pixabay

If you’re interested in Pakistan Super League betting, here are a few star moments that left people in awe as the Qalanders journey to defeat the Multan Sultans.

• The twin wins of Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United propelled them to the top of the points table.  They beat Islamabad United with the record of the biggest win (in terms of runs) ever in the PSL.
• They only beat Multan Sultans with one run.
• Arman Khan had some impressive runs as he returned with figures of 2 for 20 in 3 hours.
• Shahid Afridi had over 10 runs per over and only scored one wicket.
• Mirza Tahir Baig scored a 42ball 54.
• Sam Billing and Sikandar Raza (the overseas pair) kept the Qalandars in the chase.
• Shaheen Afridi and David Wiese had the Qalandars completing the chase with four wickets in hand and seven balls. On that note, they were also considered the first team in the season to hunt down a target at this stadium.

The Qalandars Performance Last Season(PSL 7)

• The Lahore Qalandars came second in the 2022 PSL.
• They scored 12 points ahead of Peshawar Zalmi.
• They went on to lose to Multan in the qualifier.
• In the Eliminator they knocked out Islamabad United which was their third win. 

The Best Players of the Season

• Fakhar Zaman had 588 runs striking 152 in 2022 and has become a crucial member in defending their title.
• Their Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi had the most impressive bowling attack. He had a total of 20 wickets.
• Salman Khan was also part of the top 3 wickettakers in the competition.

Here Are Your PSL Teams

The teams that are part of the PSL include Islamabad United,  Lahore Qalandars,  Karachi Kings, Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Sultans,  and Quetta Gladiators. The league has always been a 5 team form until the latest edition which is Multan Sultan. Here is a brief look at each of the teams:

Karachi Kings

Karachi Kings is considered the second most expensive franchise in the league. ARY Media Group acquired it for $26 million. It has achieved third place in the second and third seasons of the PSL. It also has the fourth-highest success rate in winning with 42.68%.

Islamabad United

Islamabad United is one of the first five original teams in the PSL. It is also one of the most successful with the most titles. They won the championship twice in the first and third seasons. Their success rate sits at 57.95%.

Lahore Qalandars

Lahore Qalanders are the current reigning champions and the third most expensive franchise in the PSL. They were sold to an International Company for $25.1 million for a duration of 10 years.

Peshawar Zalmi

Peshawar Zalmi is the PSL League champion for season 2 with 20 overs. They won with a margin of 58 against Quetta Gladiators. Their leading run-scorer is Kamran “Pocket Rocket” Akmal who was also awarded player of the tournament.

Multan Sultans

Multan Sultans is the newest addition to the PSL which joined in 2018. It is also considered the most expensive franchise in the league because it was sold for $41.6 million in an 8-year contract.  Its success rate in winnings sits at 36.84%.

Quetta Gladiators

Quetta Gladiators won the season four league with 17.5 overs.  They had eight wickets more than Peshawar Zalmi and their star player Shane Watson got the player of the tournament award in the same year. They have a success rate of 61.90% in Winning.

Awards Received In the PSL

The PSL presents various Awards apart from the tournament trophy and championship title.  These are awarded to players of the season.  Here are the other awards players can get in the Pakistan Super League:

Hanif Mohammad

The Hanif Mohammad award and a green cap is awarded to the leading run-scorer of the season. The player that has the best run score gets to wear the cap throughout the game and also gets the cap at the end of the final game.

Fazal Mahmood

This award comes with a maroon cap and is awarded to the leading wicket-taker of the season. Just like the Hanif Mohammad the player wears it throughout the game and gets the cap at the end of the final game.

Imtiaz Ahmed

Imtiaz Ahmed is awarded the best wicketkeeper of the season.

Could The Lahore Qalandars Be the Reigning Champions in 2024 Again?

Considering that Lahore Qalandars has already taken the cup two times in the PSL and played the final three times there isn’t much to doubt about them taking the 2024 Cup once again. There’s a very high probability of them being the reigning champions once again.