Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings: A blockbuster clash for fans before the playoffs

The blockbuster clash between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars is set to get underway at 11 pm PST at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The second match of the double-header will be followed with keen interest as both these teams share a friendly rivalry and have produced rivetting contests in the history of the tournament.

In the last head-to-head, Qalandars managed to outplay Kings by chasing down 187 in the final over. It was a scintillating contest that had plenty of emotion, intense drama, ebbs and flows, and it went right down to the wire.

Kings got three wickets in the powerplay but a 119-run stand between Fakhar Zaman and Ben Dunk changed the complexion of the game.

Earlier in the 11th match of PSL-6 Karachi leg, Kings' batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Mohammad Nabi scored blistering half-centuries. Shaheen Afridi was on top of his form and was declared player of the match for his match-winning spell. He took three for 27 in the hostile spell.

Karachi sits at fifth position with six points while Lahore has dropped to number three and bagged ten points until now. Lahore Qalandars started their PSL Abu Dhabi leg campaign with convincing wins but their batting has been struggling in the last few matches and they would need their experienced players Mohammad Hafeez and Fakhar Zaman to step up and score the bulk of the runs tonight.

Karachi Kings have lost three matches on the trot while Lahore Qalandars haven't been able to topple their opponents in the last two games. Kings looked meek against Zalmi in their last game as they only managed a mere 108/9 — a target that was never going to challenge the opposition.

On the other hand, Qalandars lost to United and Gladiators in their last two games so both teams are desperate to win, Karachi more than Lahore.

Winning the toss and electing to field first has been the order of the day in the second game on double-header days as dew makes it tough to control the ball and it starts to come nicely onto the bat as night falls.

Quotes

“It’s been great, we’ve got a great team, some really good guys. It’s been fun. I think we just got to come out and back ourselves to play good cricket, we’ve obviously got some classy players, maybe we’ve just missed the beat last few nights, the last few games we’ve played. But if just get back to our basics, back ourselves, then I’m sure we’ll play really well," said Tim David said after the loss against Quetta Gladiators.

"It was important for me to get confidence back. We get confidence after taking wickets and spending time on the crease. I will try to lead from the front. Now there is nothing to lose and we have to step up," said Imad Wasim after the defeat against Peshawar Zalmi.

Squads