MD Imran Khan SR

Abhishek Singh ∙ 25 Feb 2021

PSL 6: Oozing with confidence Lahore face soul searching Sultans from Multan

After a day’s break in the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League, two teams far apart from each other both in Points Table, as well as the mood in the dressing room, will start off the double header’s day on Friday, 26th February. The only similarity in the teams is they share the same province in Pakistan. Lahore Qalandars, sitting at the top of the Points Table and representing the Northern parts of Punjab will face second from bottom in the table, Multan Sultans representing Southern Punjab. Hafeez-Shaheen-Rauf three-dimensional attack of Qalandars The Lahore Qalandars have one of the most dangerous bowling lineups in the tournament with two outstanding quicks in the form of Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi. To complement them, they have David Wiese and Ahmed Daniyal with their medium pace and wicket to wicket bowling. The Qalandars though would miss the facilities of Rashid Khan who has left for International duties after playing match-winning roles in the first two games. In batting, they have the Professor patrolling the troops and he has done exceedingly well in the first two matches, remaining unbeaten in guiding the team home in both of them. For help, he has opener Fakhar Zaman and most likely would have either Joe Denly or tom Abell for company in the upcoming game. Thus this trio holds the key for Sohail Akhtar’s men in the battle of the Punjabis. Multan in search of a death overs specialist In the two games that they have played so far, the Sultans of Muktans have met the same fate in each of them, losing it in the 19th over, after having dominated the proceedings for the first 18. In the first game, it was Sohail Tanvir who killed the game with his 19th over, in the last one, it was Shahnawaz Dhani. The Sultans would therefore be searching for someone who could bowl specifically at the death. Somebody of the likes of Sohail Khan or Imran Khan who are known for their ability to hit the yorker length need to be drafted in the XI. The batting is en route being one of the great lineups in the tournament with Mohammad Rizwan and James Vince hitting form. If Chris Lynn gets going, it would become one of the most fearsome lineups. With 112 runs, Rizwan is currently the leading run-scorer in the tournament. Lahore Qalandars vs Multan Sultans: Match Details Match Number- 07 Venue: National Stadium, Karachi Date & Time: 26 February 2021, 03:30 pm IST, 03:00 pm Local, 10:00 am GMT Broadcast and Live Stream: Sony SIX, Sony LIV Pitch Report The tournament did start with mid-range totals, but over the last two games, it has got better as the totals are getting bigger and bigger. The pitch for this game would be a fresh one and most probably one, which will have good bounce and carry and favour batsmen with the ball coming on to the bat. The fresh wicket might have some juice as well and might offer some swing early on as well. Weather Report The weather in Karachi would be ideal for playing cricket as the temperatures would range between the late 20s to early 30s. There would be sunshine and the mild chill of receding winters to compliment it, making it an ideal scenario for a cricket match without any interference from rain. As has been the tradition in the tournament so far. Skipper would look to field first after winning the toss. Probable XI Lahore Qalandars Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar (c), Mohammad Hafeez, Joe Denly, Ben Dunk (wk), Samit Patel, David Wiese, Ahmed Daniyal, Maaz Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf Multan Sultans Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Chris Lynn, James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Sohaib Maqsood, Khushdil Shah, Shahid Afridi, Carlos Brathwaite, Sohail Khan, Usman Qadir, Shahnawaz Dhani Dream XI / Fantasy XI suggestions Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Fakhar Zaman, James Vince, Mohammad Hafeez (vc), Sohaib Maqsood, Rilee Rossouw, Carlos Brathwaite, Shahid Afridi, Usman Qadir, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi