KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators' captain Sarfaraz Ahmed will miss his side's crucial match against Multan Sultans today (Saturday) due to the injury he sustained in his side's clash against Karachi Kings on March 6.
The Gladiators captain also missed his side's clash against Peshawar Zalmi on Wednesday, due to the injury.
Throughout PSL history, Sarfaraz — who has been with the Gladiators since the inaugural season — has never missed a game for his side.
Mohammad Nawaz will lead the Gladiators in the absence of Sarfaraz; meanwhile, Bismillah Khan has been named as the wicketkeeper's replacement.
Today's clash is the 28th fixture of the ongoing season Pakistan Super League (PSL) and is set to be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.
It is crucial for the Gladiators to win this match to stay in the race of playoffs.
The Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Gladiators need to win their last league-stage match against Multan Sultans by a big margin. Gladiators also need Islamabad United to beat Peshawar Zalmi by a significant margin on Sunday in order to qualify for the next round.
The Gladiators must win their last league-stage match against Multan Sultans today (Saturday) by a big margin, in order to qualify for the next round of the tournament.
They also need Islamabad United to trump Peshawar Zalmi by a significant margin on Sunday, since the Babar Azam-led Zalmi can qualify for the playoffs even if they lose their Sunday match by a close margin.
The Gladiators need an uptick of approximately 100 runs in their favour from the aforementioned games.
They are currently in the fifth position on the points table with six points after nine matches.
It must be noted that the closing ceremony and final of PSL 8 will be held on March 19 in Lahore, which will also host play-offs.
The winner will not only lift the Supernova Trophy but will also collect a cheque of Rs120m, while the runners-up will receive a cheque of Rs48m.
Lahore Qalandars will attempt to become the first side to win back-to-back titles; meanwhile Islamabad United will aim to become the most successful side by lifting the trophy thrice.
March 11: Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, Pindi Cricket Stadium
March 12: Match 1— Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi, Pindi Cricket Stadium; match 2 — Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium
March 15: Qualifier (1 v 2), Gaddafi Stadium
March 16: Eliminator 1 (3 v 4), Gaddafi Stadium
March 17: Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier v winner Eliminator 1), Gaddafi Stadium
March 19: Final, Gaddafi Stadium
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