PSL 2020, Match 23, Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings, Preview – Jolted Qalandars intend to get back to winning ways

Lahore Qalandars are currently sitting at bottom in the points table of PSL 2020.

Published - 07 Mar 2020, 18:10 IST | Updated - 07 Mar 2020, 18:10 IST

View : 2K

3 Min Read

Karachi Kings have won back to back games in PSL 2020 before their previous game got abandon due to rain. They have gained consistency in their performances at the right time when play-off dates are approaching near. So far, they have defeated Peshawar Zalmi twice and once they outclassed Islamabad United. Kings are coming out with a great team effort due to which the other teams are finding difficulty in defeating them.

On the other hand, Lahore Qalandars looks pretty miserable in this edition of the tournament. They are consistently performing poor in every respective department of the game. None of their players has managed to find their grooves due to which Qalandars have suffered.

It is high time that they should come out with some brilliance before they get knocked out from the tournament. And, looking forward to their past performances the chances of Lahore Qalandars getting out of the PSL 2020 playoff qualification race are quite high.

Team Combination:

Lahore Qalandars

Chris Lynn and Salman Butt are the sure short runners to open the innings for Qalandars. Later on, they have players like Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk and Samit Patel, who can play quick-fire knocks when needed but their struggle in the tournament against an opponent is one biggest reason behind the poor performance of Qalandars.

Even their skipper Sohail Akhtar is having a nightmare that is not coming to an end. As a batsman, he has failed on all the occasions for the team. But, the management still hopes that a good knock from his willow might change the fate of the team.

They have Dilbar Hussain, Usman Shinwari and Salman Irshad, who form a prolific fast-bowling trio but their inconsistency has worked against their team. However, they are quite talented and if they managed to pull off a performance as per their calibre, then the chances of Qalandars winning the upcoming clash will automatically get high.

Probable XI: Chris Lynn, Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk (wk), Samit Patel, Sohail Akhtar (c), Muhammad Faizan, Seekkuge Prasanna, Usman Shinwari, Salman Irshad, Dilbar Hussain

Karachi Kings

Kings are expected to come out with their winning combination that registered six-wicket victory against Peshawar Zalmi. In batting, they have Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, who will open the innings followed by Alex Hales, Cameron Delport, Chadwick Walton and Iftikhar Ahmed in the middle-order.

They boast a strong batting line up in comparison to their bowling unit that looks pretty inexperienced that is totally dependent on their two main fast bowlers– Chris Jordan and Mohammad Amir. Kings look short of a world-class spinner, who can disturb opposition batting line. There is Imad Wasim, who is leading the spin attack of the team. But, so far he hasn’t managed a breakthrough performance with the ball.

Probable XI: Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Alex Hales, Cameron Delport, Chadwick Walton (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Chris Jordan, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir, Umer Khan

The focus will be on

Chris Lynn (Lahore Qalandars)

Chris Lynn will play a vital role in the upcoming game against Karachi Kings. PSL 2020 has not gone well for the Aussie international until now. But, he has shown some glimpses of his good form with the bat. Moreover, he has struggled in getting off to a good start to his inning. However, if he managed to pull off good innings with his bat then the chances of Qalandars losing the match will be quite low.

Babar Azam (Karachi Kings)

Babar Azam is the leading run-scorer for Karachi Kings in PSL 2020. He has proved his worth as an opener, who is consistently scoring runs in bundles for his team. His strike rate is not that good in the tournament but the impact of his knock is quite lethal that has turned out to be the main reason behind the success of Karachi Kings in this edition. So far he has mustered 187 runs in five innings with two fifties. His performance will play a crucial role in the clash against Lahore Qalandars.