As luck would have it, Pakistan and Indian cricketing fan bases have always been interconnected, one way or another. Practically, this was evident yesterday, when Indian Premier League’s final was not only closely watched across the green end of the border, but also some notable similarities were jotted down.
Taking it from the top, this is how a list of striking similarities panned out PSL & IPL finals for the year 2023.
Both the teams that played finals took on each other in the opening game of the tournament as well as the Qualifier number one and then the grand finale. For PSL, the teams were Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, and for IPL, the teams were Chennai Super Kings and Gujrat Titans.
In both finals, 13 runs were needed off the last over, and the target came down the wire, where four were needed to claim the win off the last ball.
Likewise, the Chennai Super Kings and Lahore Qalandars both won the coin toss and emerged victorious in claiming the championship. In both instances, the team that had the opportunity to bat first managed to accumulate a total of 200 or greater runs.
In both matches, all four teams have a batter went back to the dugout on a duck, including MS Dhoni from Chennai Super Kings, Rashid Khan from Gujarat Titans, Ahsan Hafeez from Lahore Qalandars, and Usama Mir from Multan Sultans.
Last but not least, two half-centuries each were scored in both matches.
Chasing down the target of 171 in 15 overs, with a late flourish from Ravindra Jadeja and a stunning knock by Devon Conway, spurred Dhoni and co. to wear the pageant crown of their fifth IPL title. Disruptive weather changes couldn’t take the charm away from what can be easily called one of the most stunning finals in the history of franchise cricket.
