PSL 2020: Eliminator 1, LAH vs PES – Lahore’s chasing streak, Zalmi's worst season, Hafeez’s year with the bat and more stats

Lahore Qalandars ensured there will be a new champion in the PSL 2020 as Peshawar Zalmi, the only trophy holders in the playoffs got knocked out in the first Eliminator on Saturday. A collective effort with the ball saw the Qalandars keeping the Zalmi down to 133/8 but a 16-ball 37 from Hardus Viljoen guided his team to finish on 170/9. PSL debutant Saqib Mahmood got the better of Lahore’s top three to restrict them to 33/3 in 4.5 overs. However, Mohammad Hafeez (74* off 46) anchored the chase with three vital partnerships to wrap it up in only 19 overs.

Here are all the statistical highlights from Lahore Qalandars’ 5-wicket win during the LAH vs PES game:

Lahore’s chasing streak:

5 – Lahore Qalandars have won five of their last six matches in the PSL 2020. All those five wins came while chasing a target and by a margin of five or more wickets. In fact, all those five chases were completed by the Lahore team by hitting a six.

Break to Zalmi’s dominance over Qalandars:

3-8 – Lahore Qalandars now have defeated Peshawar Zalmi on three out of 11 meetings in the PSL thus far. Qalandars won their previous meeting against Zalmi which was hosted by Lahore. Before these two defeats, the Peshawar franchise had seven consecutive wins against the Qalandars in the league.

Zalmi’s lowest point:

4 – Peshawar Zalmi finished 4th in the league phase and got knocked out in the Eliminator. This is their worst ever finish in any edition of the PSL. Zalmi won the PSL title in 2017 and ended up as runners-up in 2018 and 2019. During the inaugural 2016 edition, the Peshawar team lost both the qualifying finals after finishing the league phase as table toppers.

Hafeez’s year with the bat:

7 – Mohammad Hafeez now has seven fifties in the Twenty20 format in 2020 across 25 innings where he aggregated 844 runs. Only four players till date have scored more than Hafeez in T20s this year. No player other than Hafeez in 2020 has scored over 750 T20 runs at 40+ average and 140+ strike rate.

Imam turns keeper for the team:

1 – The LAH vs PES game was the first in Imam-ul-Haq’s professional career where he played as a designated wicketkeeper. Imam took up the gloves as Kamran Akmal got ruled out of the game due to shoulder injury. Imam ended up claiming the catches of both the openers in the bowling of Saqib Mahmood who bagged two wickets in his first over on PSL debut.

Dilbar gets the better of Zalmi again:

8 – Dilbar Hussain has picked up eight wickets against Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2020 across the three meetings. The pacer took 3/33 in his four overs during the Saturday’s Eliminator adding to his five wickets in the league phase including a 4-wicket haul.

Dilbar’s eight wickets against Zalmi are now the joint-most by any player against an opponent in a PSL edition. Shahid Afridi took eight wickets in 2016 edition against Quetta Gladiators while Faheem Ashraf also took eight wickets against Lahore Qalandars during the 2019 season in only two meetings.

Milestone six for Maqsood:

100 – The lone six struck by Sohaib Maqsood during his 17-ball 16 was the 100th six he has hit in the Twenty20 format on Pakistan soil. Only Asif Ali (126), Shoaib Malik (112) and Kamran Akmal (105) have hit 100+ sixes in T20s on Pakistan soil before Sohaib.

Handy contribution from Viljoen:

231.25 – Hardus Viljoen scored 37 from 16 balls for the Peshawar Zalmi at a strike rate of 231.25 while batting at No.8. Only Kamran Akmal (77 off 27 at 285.18 vs Karachi in 2018) and Kieron Pollard (51 off 22 at 231.81 vs Islamabad in 2019) scored more runs than Viljoen at a higher batting strike rate for Peshawar Zalmi in a PSL innings.