Babar Azam, the captain of the Peshawar Zalmi team, was unable to participate in the match against Islamabad United during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight on Sunday due to a fever and has been ruled out. Azam had also been out of the field during his team’s previous match against Multan Sultans on Friday. Despite this setback, Babar currently holds the second-highest run-scoring record in the PSL 8 with 416 runs in nine innings.
The final league stage matches of PSL 8 will be played across two venues on Sunday. In the first match, Islamabad United faced Peshawar Zalmi at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, while in the evening match, Lahore Qalandars locked horns with Karachi Kings at the Gaddafi Stadium. The Qalandars, Multan Sultans, United, and Zalmi have already qualified for the playoffs, although the knockout fixtures will be confirmed after today’s matches.
If United beats Zalmi, the qualifier will be between Qalandars and United, and the eliminator 1 will be between Sultans and Zalmi. If Zalmi beats United, the qualifier will be between Qalandars and Sultans, and the eliminator 1 will be between United and Zalmi. The result of the Lahore-Karachi clash will have no impact on the playoffs.
On Saturday, Sultans knocked Quetta Gladiators out of the race for the playoffs with a nine-run victory in Rawalpindi. Chasing a massive target of 263 runs, Quetta was restricted to 253-8 in 20 overs. A victory for Sultans also ensured that Zalmi booked their spot in the knockout stage. Similar to last year, Quetta and Karachi Kings have once again failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The closing ceremony and final of PSL 8 will take place on March 19 in Lahore, which will also host playoffs. The winner will not only lift the Supernova Trophy but will also collect a cheque of Rs120m, while the runners-up will receive a cheque of Rs48m. Lahore Qalandars will attempt to become the first team to win back-to-back titles, while Islamabad United will aim to become the most successful team by lifting the trophy thrice.
The remaining PSL 8 matches include Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi at the Pindi Cricket Stadium and Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium on March 12, followed by Qualifier (1 v 2), Eliminator 1 (3 v 4), Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier v winner Eliminator 1), and Final, all at Gaddafi Stadium on March 15, 16, 17, and 19, respectively.
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