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It’s a shame that we’ve had to wait this long to see the clash between the two cities that love to hate each other. Lahore Qalandars will take on Karachi Kings on their home ground in the first of the two matches these two teams will play against each other in the round stage.
The 23rd match will host these two teams, and previous performances will not matter when these two teams collide as the stakes are much higher when Karachi and Lahore play against one another.
Lahore has been on the back foot once again in this season, making the Pakistan Super League (PSL) a nightmare for the fans of the Qalandars. Several changes at the top and in the middle have bourne no fruit, and fans seem to have pointed out the problem with the team in the form of Aqib Javed.
The Qalandars seemed like a completely changed side when they took on Quetta Gladiators and scored 209 to win the match, and are back to their usual performances ever since. Their batting has been consistent, even though they haven’t managed to win any matches batting second.
Fakhar Zaman has been under a lot of pressure and he, along with Chris Lynn, will need to do something magical against Karachi. Ben Dunk has been the surprise factor in the side, and Samit Patel has proven to be a better batsman than any of the local players. Muhammad Hafeez and Sohail Akhtar need to hit out or head home, as continuous losses for the Qalandars could pull the curtains down on their PSL career.
Without Shaheen Afridi, their bowling seemed completely out of sorts, and they will be hoping to have him in the XI once again. Dilbar Hussain has been the other bowler who has done a good just, while the others need to pull up their socks and stock the runs from leaking in every match.
Karachi Kings have been having a better tournament, and have been shuffling around in the top four on the points table. That will make fans of Lahore envious as their team has been consistent in doing badly in PSL.
The Kings also have a very balanced side that sees Babar Azam take the charge from the top. The Number 1 T20 batsman in the world could find some help from Sharjeel Khan, while Alex Hales and Cameron Delport are sure to provide some stability in the middle. While it’s sad to see Muhammad Rizwan sit out most of the games, Chadwick Walton has been doing a decent job with the bat and behind the wickets for the Kings.
The Men in Blue have a bowling lineup that has been doing well now, and Mohammad Amir will look to dismantle the Qalandars early on. Chris Jordan, Umer Khan, and Umaid Asif are the other bowlers who could do well on the Gaddafi Stadium pitch.
We could see a captain’s innings with the bat or ball from Imad Wasim as he tries to make a case to clinch the national team’s leadership duties.
While the match will be hosted by the Lahore Qalandars, they will have to play out of their skins to defeat the Kings who are doing a fairly better job in this season. The better team on the day will take the match home.
Match details
Tournament: Pakistan Super League Season 5, 2020
Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Date: 8th March 2020
Time: 7:00 PM PST onwards
Pitch report
The pitch conditions won’t matter too much when these two teams go head to head as the batsmen will go berserk in order to try and put up a big total. The green patches on the pitch will provide some assistance to the spinners, while the faster bowlers could possibly struggle in the damp conditions.
Even though the outfield is expected to be moist and the size of the ground could restrict some shots from reaching the boundary, most of the batsmen will prefer to take the aerial route.
Predicted XIs
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Chris Lynn, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk (Wicket-keeper), Sohail Akhtar (Captain), David Wiese, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Seekkuge Prassana, Usman Shinwari, and Dilbar Hussain.
Karachi Kings: Babar Azam, Sharjeel Khan, Alex Hales, Cameron Delport, Chadwick Walton (Wicket-keeper), Imad Wasim (Captain), Iftikhar Ahmed, Umaid Asif, Mohammad Amir, Chris Jordan, and Umer Khan.
Where to watch the matches in Pakistan?
Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings will be telecast LIVE on PTV Sports.
Live stream details
The live stream for Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings will be available on Cricingiff and Cricketgateway.
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