PSL 2022: Is This the Most Open PSL of All Time?

PSL 2022: The first half of PSL 2022 has left fans wanting more. Sure, there was a sense of predictability with the first six matches won by the chasing team, followed by the next seven won by the side batting first. But, some of the hittings certainly provided great entertainment value, with all teams bar the disappointing Karachi Kings notching up big scores.

Even more intriguing will be the race towards the PSL 2022 Title. Champions Multan Sultans bucked the original trend of chasing teams winning each game en-route to a perfect five from five, with all three facets of their game holding up in the pressure moments. They have been the best side to date, and are the deserved favorites to make it back-to-back titles.

However, Islamabad United dominated the PSL 2021 league stage with eight wins from 10 matches only to be bundled out in straight sets in the playoffs. So, hitting top form at the business end of the season will be key. Here’s the PSL schedule and get the live score update here.

PSL 2022 1st half report: How is each team shaping up?

Five of the six teams are capable of producing their best cricket when it counts. Last season’s bottom-placed Quetta Gladiators look a different side with Jason Roy at the helm, particularly if he can continue to produce the kind of brilliance we saw in his first match of the season.

Lahore Qalandars were at the receiving end of Roy’s incredible 57-ball 116, made all the more impressive by the fact it was against an attack consisting of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Rashid Khan. Add Zaman Khan to the attack, who won player of the match in his previous two matches, and it’s a well-rounded bowling lineup.

For this reason, they remain one of PSL 2022’s contenders despite Rashid Khan is set to miss the Lahore leg due to Afghanistan’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh. With Fakhar Zaman in such a rich vein of form (356 runs in five matches at an average of 71.20 and strike rate of 173.65), expect Lahore to get runs on the board and their bowlers to enjoy more good days than bad.

In fact, Lahore has the highest average total of any team in PSL 2022 so far (192).

Peshawar Zalmi, last year’s finalists, had a disappointing first half of the tournament. Not only did they lose three of five matches, but their net run rate of -1.183 is the worst of any team in the league.

However, they can draw confidence from last year’s run in the UAE, where they won five of seven matches to reach the Final. Also, the likes of Saqib Mahmood and Liam Livingstone are available after England duty, and both elevate Zalmi into a much more dangerous side. In fact, Mahmood was Zalmi’s star performer in the first leg of PSL 2021, where he took 12 wickets in just five matches.

In saying that, Islamabad United arguably looks like the team most capable of challenging for the title along with Multan. It is hard to remember any player in recent memory producing a run of form like Shadab Khan has, as he leads brilliantly with both bat and ball (186 runs, 14 wickets).

Paul Stirling’s departure for national duty will leave a gap given he struck a brilliant 181.55 runs per 100 deliveries. However, the silver lining for United is we could see more of Asif Ali, who was terrific as a finisher in last year’s T20 World Cup. In a lineup consisting of Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Shadab Khan, and Azam Khan, bowling sides will still have their work cut out.

Speaking of having their work cut out, 2020 champions Karachi Kings leave their home ground red-faced. Babar Azam’s team has easily been the most disappointing side in the tournament to date and needs a huge turnaround if they are to qualify for the playoffs. Four wins out of 10 may be enough to get your fourth spot in a six-team league, but Karachi needs a complete fortune reversal with the bat, as the numbers below make for grim reading.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Multan Sultans have been superb. Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan are two of the top three run-scorers so far in PSL 2022, while Tim David is striking at a brilliant 211.68. Also, Sultans have three of the top four wicket-takers (Imran Tahir, Khushdil Shah, and David Willey), so it will be a tough ask to stop the defending champions this season. Try this cricket prediction app that are safe to use.

Key Stats and Information:

PSL 2022 standings at halfway mark:

1. Multan Sultans: 10 points, NRR 1.073
   
2. Islamabad United: 6 points, NRR 1.019
   
3. Lahore Qalandars: 6 points, NRR 0.337
   
4. Quetta Gladiators: 4 points, NRR -0.041
   
5. Peshawar Zalmi: 4 points, NRR -1.183
   
6. Karachi Kings: 0 points, NRR -1.136

Highest average team total in PSL 2022:

1. Qalandars: 192 (run rate: 9.68)
   
2. Sultans: 189.6 (run rate: 9.67)
   
3. United: 188.2 (run rate: 9.87)
   
4. Zalmi: 173.4 (run rate: 8.72)
   
5. Gladiators: 173.2 (run rate: 9.29)
   
6. Karachi: 141.2 (run rate: 7.26)

Overall PSL record at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore:

The second half of PSL 2022, to be played at Lahore, promises to be enthralling. Sultans, United, and Qalandars look the most complete teams in the tournament, but Zalmi and Gladiators, thanks to key English additions, can turn it on at the flick of a switch.

As a result, it promises to be one of the most open tournaments with any of the four playoff participants capable of lifting the trophy on February 27. Here are some legit cricket betting apps in india.