Zalmi face do-or-die situation against eliminated Sultans

LAHORE: As PSL 2025 approaches the end of the league stage, Match 25 brings together two teams struggling in their own domains when Multan Sultans host Peshawar Zalmi at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday (today).

Despite Multan’s historical dominance over Peshawar with an impressive 11 wins in 16 encounters, this season has painted a different picture for both sides. The Sultans find themselves languishing at the bottom of the table with just one win from eight matches and a concerning net run-rate of -2.597, while Zalmi occupies fifth position with three victories from seven games and a net run rate of -0.507.

This encounter marks the second meeting between these teams in PSL 2025, with their previous clash resulting in a crushing 120-run victory for Peshawar Zalmi in Match 9 – a stark reversal of the traditional head-to-head dynamics.

That result epitomized the Sultans’ dismal campaign, which has seen them mathematically eliminated from playoff contention regardless of their performances in their remaining two fixtures. In contrast, Peshawar Zalmi maintain slim hopes of reaching the playoffs, but must win all three of their remaining matches while hoping other results go their way.

The Sultans’ struggles this season stand in sharp contrast to their captain Mohammad Rizwan’s individual brilliance. Rizwan leads the tournament’s run-scoring charts with 346 runs at an exceptional average of 69.20 and a strike rate of 140.08, but has received minimal support from his teammates.

Their bowling attack has shown occasional promise through Ubaid Shah, who has claimed 11 wickets in seven matches, albeit at an expensive economy rate of 10.13, with Mitchell Bracewell contributing six wickets.

For Peshawar Zalmi, Mohammad Haris has been the standout batsman with 223 runs at a strike rate of 158.15, while their bowling has been spearheaded by Alzarri Joseph, the tournament’s third-highest wicket-taker with 11 dismissals at a respectable economy of 8.70, well supported by Ali Raza’s eight wickets.

The Multan Cricket Stadium pitch traditionally favours batsmen, setting the stage for potentially high scores if Peshawar’s powerful batting lineup featuring Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris finds rhythm.

However, Multan’s spin duo of Usama Mir and Michael Bracewell could prove crucial if they extract any turn from the surface. With home advantage potentially boosting the Sultans’ morale despite their poor form, and Peshawar desperate to keep their playoff hopes alive, this match promises to be an intriguing contest despite the disparate positions of the two teams in the standings.