Season six of Pakistan Super League (PSL) is heading at the back-end. The result of every match will be crucial for the team going into the playoffs round.
The competition will witness a double-header today where Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars lock horns at 6.00 pm today.
Quetta Gladiators, 2019 PSL winners are struggling to find a win in the second leg and are at the bottom of the table with two points in seven matches. It’s quite difficult for them to qualify for the next round, however, they can still hurt the chances of other teams that are still in with a chance.
Read: Islamabad United registers emphatic 28-run win over Lahore Qalandars
They may be without their key players due to concussions. Andre Russell was ruled out while Faf du Plessis had a similar kind of blow while fielding and is still unwell.
Without their key stalwarts, they are certainly a lot less side than they were during the start of the second leg. Besides, they are coming off two humiliating losses in their last two matches and will certainly not be high on confidence. They would need some individual brilliance to take them home and unless that happens, they are likely to come second-best in the upcoming match.
On the other hand, Lahore Qalandars are eyeing a comeback after a horrible loss to Islamabad United on Sunday.
They were having a fantatsic run in the tournament until their last match. Even the last game was in their pocket before they allowed Islamabad United to claw back and eventually post a victory.
Also read: Irfan, Miller lay down solid foundation for Zalmi to beat Gladiators
Qalandars moved to the second position from the top and they will now be desperate to claim back that top of the table position. Their net run rate isn’t something to be proud of and that is another reason why the Qalandars will want to gather as many points as possible.
They have one of the most lethal bowling units amongst all teams in the tournament. The likes of Rashid Khan, James Faulkner, and Shaheen Shah Afridi can be a deadly combination for any team to bat against.
Apart from that, the Qalandars have a decent batting unit that has an excellent amalgamation of swashbuckling batsmen and experience.
They gave away two points to United but the loss might well act as a wake-up call for them. If they continue to perform the way they were doing prior to their last match, the clash against Gladiators would be easy task.
Predicted XIs:
Quetta Gladiators: Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Cameron Delport, Jake Weatherald, Azam Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C & WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Jake Wildermuth, Mohammad Hasnain, Zahid Mahmood, Zahir Khan
Lahore Qalandars: Sohail Akhtar, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Muhammad Faizan, Tim David, Ben Dunk, Rashid Khan, James Faulkner, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Ahmed Daniyal
