LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League 6 was spicing up at the end of the Karachi leg before it was postponed after 14 matches due to COVID-19.
In the Karachi leg of the tournament, teams batting second won the first 13 matches. It was the last game of the leg where the taboo ended as the 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators turned the tables on Multan Sultans at the National Stadium with a 22-run win on March 3.
The sixth edition has so far proved to be as competitive as others with four of the six sides tied at six points each heading to the Abu Dhabi leg of the tournament.
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Currently, defending champions Karachi Kings are on top of the points table with six points from five matches (three wins, two defeats).
Interestingly, all top four sides, Kings, Peshawar Zalmi, Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars have accumulated six points in the Karachi-leg, with Kings sitting on top of the table due to a better net run-rate.
| Teams | Matches played | Won | Lost | Ties | Points | NRR |
| Karachi Kings | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0.697 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0.273 |
| Islamabad United | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0.202 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0.085 |
| Multan Sultans | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | -0.244 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | -0.936 |
In terms of runs, only three batsmen were able to accumulate 200 runs or more in the Karachi-leg with Sultans’ skipper Mohammad Rizwan leading the run-getters table.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who is in phenomenal form lately, scored 297 runs at an average of 59.40 at an impressive strike rate of 140.09 in the five matches he played for the Sultans.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's all-format captain and Kings skipper Babar Azam is in second place on the table with 258 runs at an average of 86. The right-hander maintained a strike rate of 138.70 and in the process registered three half-centuries for his side in their five games.
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So far, Babar’s opening partner Sharjeel Khan has scored the only century of the tournament, the left-hander’s 200 runs in five innings were scored at a strike rate of 170.94. While his average was 40 per innings.
The Babar-Sharjeel duo also recorded the highest partnership of the tournament by adding 176 runs for the Kings against United.
Zalmi fast bowler Saqib Mehmood has been the highest wicket-taker of the tournament, the right-armer took 12 wickets in five matches at 12.08 with an economy rate of 7.98. He had the best figures 3-12 in the tournament.
Qalandars’ spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi also carried on his impressive T20 bowling form in the tournament. So far, he has taken nine wickets in four games at an average of 12.55. Shaheen conceded a mere 7.06 runs per over, with best figures 4-14.
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Sultans’ pacer Shahnawaz Dhani, who caught the nation's attention ha taken nine scalps in four games in his debut PSL season.
Sultans would be banking on Shahnawaz in the Abu Dhabi-leg of the tournament for a change of fortunes.
Zalmi’s Tom-Kohler-Cadmore topped the fielders’ charts with five catches in four matches, teammate Shoaib Malik is in second place with four catches. Quetta Gladiators’ Faf du Plessis, Ben Cutting and Babar all took three catches each.
Kings’ wicketkeeper Joe Clarke took five catches in the Karachi-leg, Qalandars’ Ben Dunk and Rizwan snared four catches each.
So far, 446 fours and 176 sixes have been hit in the tournament while 159 wickets have fallen.
Zalmi hold the record for the highest chase after their chased down a mammoth 199-run target against the Gladiators.
Islamabad United’s 118 all out in 17.1 overs was the lowest team score in the 14-match Karachi-leg against Zalmi. Gladiators were folded for 121 in 18.2 overs in their match against the Kings.