KARACHI: Former Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions Karachi Kings’ loss to Islamabad United may have dented their chances of qualifying for the playoffs but all is still not over for Imad Wasim’s side and there’s a still a small chance left for them to make it to the top four.
The current points table has Lahore Qalandars on top with 10 points from 6 games, Multan Sultans and Islamabad United have got 8 each from same number of games as Qalandars while Peshawar Zalmi has earned 6 points from 6 games. Karachi Kings are currently placed at 5th with 4 points in 8 games and Gladiators have 2 points from 6 games.
First and foremost, what Karachi Kings needs to do is to win their two remaining matches – against Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars – to ensure they finish with 8 points at the end of the league stage.
Kings would also want Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi to lose all their remaining games. At least all the respective three matches before they take on each other in match 29th.
Zalmi plays Lahore Qalandars on 7th, Quetta Gladiatrs on 8th and Multan Sultans on 10th March while Islamabad United is scheduled to take on Quetta Gladiators on 5th, Multan Sultans on 7th and Lahore Qalandars on 9th.
Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi are scheduled to take on each other on match 29th on 12th March - the last day of league stage – and the that match can make the league interesting.
Karachi playoffs qualification scenario
Karachi Kings – to keep their hopes alive in PSL 8 – would want following results in matches to come:
Match 20: Lahore Qalandars beat Multan Sultans: (LQ 12, MS 8, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 4, QG 2)
Match 21: Quetta Gladiators beat Islamabad United: (LQ 12, MS 8, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 4, QG 4)
Match 22: Karachi Kings beat Quetta Gladiators: (LQ 12, MS 8, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 4)
Match 23: Lahore Qalandars beat Peshawar Zalmi: (LQ 14, MS 8, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 4)
Match 24: Multan Sultans beat Islamabad United: (LQ 14, MS 10, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 4)
Match 25: Quetta Gladiators beat Peshawar Zalmi: (LQ 14, MS 10, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 6)
Match 26: Lahore Qalandars beat Islamabad United: (LQ 16, MS 10, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 6)
Match 27: Multan Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi: (LQ 16, MS 12, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 6)
Match 28: Multan Sultans beat Quetta Gladiators: (LQ 16, MS 14, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 6)
*if QG beats MS: (LQ 16, MS 12, IU 8, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 8)
Match 29: Islamabad United beats Peshawar Zalmi: (LQ 16, MS 14, IU 10, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 6)
*if QG bt MS and PZ bt IU (LQ 16, MS 12, IU 8, PZ 8, KK 6, QG 8)
*If MS bt QG and PZ bt IU (LQ 16, MS 14, IU 8, PZ 8, KK 6, QG 6)
*if QG bt MS and IU bt PZ (LQ 16, MS 12, IU 10, PZ 6, KK 6, QG 8)
Match 30: Karachi Kings beats Lahore Qalandars: (LQ 16, MS 14, IU 10, KK 8, PZ 6, QG 6)
It would be more interesting if QG beats MS, PZ beats IU and KK beats LQ in match 28th, 29th, and 30th and rest of the matches are resulted as KK would wish. Then, IU, PZ, KK and QG all would be tied with 8 points and in such scenario net run-rate would come into account.
Faizan Lakhani Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.