The much-awaited nationally-acclaimed Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight will commence with the opening match between Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans at the Multan Cricket Stadium today (Monday). The match will start after the performances of the singers, Abdullah Siddiqui, Asim Azhar, Faris Shafi and Shae Gill, of the PSL 8 anthem. Defending champion Lahore’s captain Shaheen Shah Afridi is in high spirits ahead of PSL 2023. “I cannot wait for the PSL to begin. It is a great tournament that throws up some brilliant cricketers each year and we, the international players, get to play some very exciting and competitive cricket,” said Shaheen. “We had an incredible run last year and it is our strong bonding as a family that helped us win the PSL. A lot of effort and hard work went behind the scenes which culminated in us lifting the trophy in 2022. We have worked even harder and we come with much better preparation in this season as retaining the title is a tough job, but with the team that I have got, I am confident that the PSL trophy will stay in Lahore,” he added. Meanwhile, Multan’s captain Rizwan highlighted the philosophy of his side. “The philosophy of Multan Sultans is simple: play as champions irrespective of the opposition or the outcome. Consequently, we are not afraid of the results,” said Rizwan. “We have been able to induce this approach in the side because we are a closely-knit side and the credit for this cohesion must be given to the team management. Also, we have a good mix and combination of coaches, which also helps me to captain the side,” he added. Here are five stats that you need to know about the PSL opener.

Head-to-head

Both teams have played 13 matches against each other in PSL, with Multan winning seven and Lahore claiming victory six times.

Biggest win by wickets

Lahore holds the record for their biggest win, in terms of wickets, against Multan. The Qalandars won their clash against Sultans in 2020 by nine wickets.

200 runs or more

Multan has twice posted a total of 200 or more runs against Lahore in PSL. They posted 209-5 in Karachi last year, while also notching up 200-6 in Sharjah in 2019.

Highest score by a player

The record for the highest score in a match between Lahore and Multan is held by the former’s Chris Lynn, who scored 113 runs in 55 balls in 2020.

Bets bowling figures in an innings

Shaheen Afridi holds the record for the best bowling figures in a match between Lahore and Multan after claiming five wickets for just four runs in 2018.