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Islamabad United will lock horns with Peshawar Zalmi in the Eliminator match of PSL 2023 on Thursday (March 16) night at the Gaddafi Stadium. The winner of this match will face defending champions Lahore Qalandars in the Qualifier 2, while the loser will return home.
Peshawar finished fourth in the PSL 2023 points table, registering five wins in 10 matches. They have won only one of their previous three games. Islamabad United, on the other side, bagged the third spot with six wins in 10 outings. They are currently on a two-match losing streak.
Both teams do not have much momentum on their side and will aim to approach the Eliminator with fresh energy. Ahead of the clash, here's a look at Lahore's pitch history.
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore T20 records & stats
Teams batting first have a 100% winning record in PSL 2023 matches hosted by Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. The Qualifier 1 match of PSL 2023 playoffs happened on Wednesday night at the same venue, where the Multan Sultans successfully defended a 161-run target against the Lahore Qalandars.
Judging by the success rate of teams batting first in Lahore, it should not be a surprise if the captain winning the toss opts to bat first again tonight. The chasing teams have found it difficult to score big in the second innings, hinting that the pitch becomes challenging for batters.
Here are some numbers from previous games played at the Gaddafi Stadium:
T20 matches played: 38
Matches won by teams batting first: 25
Matches won by teams batting second: 13
Matches Tied: 0
Matches Abandoned: 0
Highest individual score: 113* - Chris Lynn (QG) vs. Multan Sultans, 2020
Best bowling figures: 5/40 - Shaheen Afridi (LQ) vs. Peshawar Zalmi, 2023
Highest team score: 245/3 - Multan Sultans vs. Quetta Gladiators, 2022
Lowest team score: 76 - Lahore Qalandars vs. Multan Sultans, 2023
Average first-innings score: 175
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore pitch report
The conditions in Lahore favor the batters and bowlers equally. The pitch is not a batting paradise like the one in the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. In fact, the Lahore Qalandars were all out for just 76 runs in the last innings on this ground.
Spinners have been quite economical at the Gaddafi Stadium. Fast bowlers also enjoyed some success in the previous game at this venue, with only one batter from both teams finishing with a strike rate of more than 150.
Gaddafi Stadium last PSL match
Multan Sultans crushed the Lahore Qalandars by 84 runs in the previous PSL match played in Lahore. A magnificent half-century from all-rounder Kieron Pollard helped the Sultans post 160/5 on the board in their 20 overs.
In reply, the Qalandars never got going and were skittled out for just 76 runs. Not a single player from the home side touched the 20-run mark. Fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell was the pick of the bowlers for Multan with figures of 3/20 in three overs.
Brief Scores: Multan Sultans 160/5 (Kieron Pollard 57, Haris Rauf 3/34) beat Lahore Qalandars 76 (Sam Billings 19, Sheldon Cottrell 3/20) by 84 runs.
