Desperate for win, Qalandars face Kings today

LAHORE: Lahore Qalandars will face Karachi Kings in the tenth match of the Pakistan Super League 2024 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday (today).

Defending champions Lahore Qalandars find themselves in a challenging position, currently occupying the fifth spot in the points table with three consecutive losses. Karachi Kings stand at fourth place, having secured one win and one loss in their two matches.

In their previous outing, Lahore Qalandars suffered a setback, losing by 5 wickets in a match where they batted first and posted a total of 166 runs. Rassie van der Dussen’s contribution of 54 runs was noteworthy, but their bowlers, including Shaheen Afridi and Zaman Khan, couldn’t defend the total.

Karachi Kings, on the other hand, enter the contest with confidence, having won their last match convincingly by 7 wickets. Kieron Pollard’s unbeaten 49 off 21 balls played a crucial role in their successful chase of 154 runs against Peshawar Zalmi.

Rassie van der Dussen is considered the backbone of Lahore Qalandars’ batting. van der Dussen is in excellent form. Mir Hamza has got four wickets in two games for Karachi. If Lahore bat first, he becomes a strong attack option. He showcased his ability by claiming three wickets in the last match.

James Vince, the English batter, played a mature inning in the last game, scoring an unbeaten 38 from 30 balls. The Gaddafi Stadium pitch is known for being flat, providing good bounce for both quicks and slower bowlers. Teams prefer chasing, given the favourable conditions. The weather during the match is expected to be 22 degrees Celsius with a humidity index of 49%, and there’s a low probability of rain.

Lahore Qalandars batting first: If Lahore opt to bat first, focus will be on players like Rassie van der Dussen, Sahibzada Farhan, and Jahandad Khan. Bowling choices include Zaman Khan, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Karachi Kings batting first: If Karachi Kings bat first, eyes will be on Shoaib Malik, Kieron Pollard, and James Vince. Bowling options will be Mir Hamza, Daniel Sams, and Hasan Ali.

TODAY'S FIXTURE

Qalandars vs Kings

7:00 pm PST