PSL 8: Multan Sultan's strengths and weaknesses

Introduced in 2018 during PSL 3, Multan Sultans had a slow start in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) during its first two seasons, but the franchise rose to the top during the previous two editions, winning the title in 2021 and securing the second position in the seventh edition.

The Sultans' current captain is Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan, was roped in by Multan Sultans after he was dumped by Karachi Kings in 2020, where they finished third under Shan Masood's captaincy.

Rizwan, in 2021, was appointed as the captain of the Sultans and led them to their first-ever PSL trophy, while bringing the team to the PSL 2022 final.

Multan Sultans are the most successful team (by win ratio) in the PSL, with a win percentage of 57.54. The franchise also holds the record for the highest margin win (by runs) in the PSL, as they beat Quetta Gladiators by 117 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on February 18, 2022.

Strengths

Batting is the Sultans' main strength in this edition of the PSL as they have massive firepower in their squad.

Tim David is an integral part of their squad — especially after scoring 278 runs last year — as his fiery and aggressive batting can always be a threat to his opponents.

Apart from David, Rilee Rossouw will be a key player to watch in the upcoming tournament. After performing consistently in the T20 format in different leagues, the batter made his comeback to the South Africa T20I side and represented the Proteas in the T20 World Cup 2022.

The left-hander had scored 275 runs for the Multan Sultans in PSL 2022.

Moreover, the Sultans also signed Kieron Pollard in the Replacement Draft and have Khushdil Shah in the form of an all-rounder, who adds massive value to any T20 team.

Spin could also be one of the Multan Sultans' strengths in the upcoming edition as they have versatile spinners like Akeal Hosein, Usama Mir and Khusdil Shah.

Weaknesses

Last year, the seventh edition's runners-up had the support of the experienced David Willey, who claimed 13 wickets for them. However, the Englishman is not included in Sultan’s squad this year as his performance last year convinced IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore to buy him for INR two crores for IPL 2022.

In Willey’s absence, the likes of Shahnawaz Dahani, Wayne Parnell and Joshua Little will have to step up and shoulder the responsibility in the pace bowling department.