Lahore Qalandars will take on Multan Sultans in Match 16 of the Pakistan Super League at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on April 26th.
Match Preview
The home team, Lahore, gained the momentum after losing the initial game and went on to win the next two games, before losing to Multan away and then Peshawar at home. Multan Sultans are not having a great season so far, but their only victory of this year’s PSL has been against Lahore, so they will be optimistic.
The last time these two teams came across each other was on 22nd April in Multan, where the home side posted a total of 228 in the first innings courtesy of a blazing 87 by Yasir Khan. Multan’s bowling attack decimated Lahore’s top-order, led by Ubaid Shah, but still only won by 33 runs.
For Lahore Qalandars, Fakhar Zaman and Sikandar Raza have scored two half-centuries apiece, while Sam Billings, Daryl Mitchell and Abdullah Shafique scored one each. All of these have a strike-rate of over 140 in this tournament, but have not been very consistent as a unit.
Skipper Shaheen Afridi and Bangladeshi leg-spinner Rishad Hossain have taken 8 wickets each, being the leaders of the bowling attack along with some performances from Sikandar Raza and Asif Afridi as well.
For Multan Sultans, their skipper Mohammad Rizwan has stood up for them, scoring at an average of 56.5 and a strike rate of 147.7. Yasir Khan has performed well in the two matches, especially against Lahore. Usman Khan at number 3, along with Iftikhar Ahmed and Michael Bracewell in the lower order, have scored decently as well for the Sultans.
Multan’s bowlers have high economy rates, but have been taking wickets regularly, especially Ubaid Shah. Bracewell has also taken 6 wickets but at an economy rate of 9.4!
Probable Playing XI
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Daryl Mitchell, Sikandar Raza, Asif Ali, Sam Billings (WK), Shaheen Afridi ©, Rishad Hossain, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Azab (E).
Multan Sultans:Yasir Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Usman Khan, Ashton Turner, Kamran Ghulam, Michael Bracewell, David Willey, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Josh Little, Ubaid Shah.
Pitch and weather report:
On the day of the match, the weather forecast for Lahore predicts mostly sunny skies with daytime highs reaching around 39°C and nighttime lows dipping to about 22°C. Humidity levels are expected to stay very low at around 10%, accompanied by a light breeze from the southeast at around 13 km/h. These dry and warm conditions are ideal for cricket, minimizing any chances of rain interruptions and creating a comfortable atmosphere for both players and spectators.
Gaddafi Stadium’s pitch is well known for being batting-friendly, providing balanced bounce and pace that let batters play freely. First-inning scores in recent games have been high, averaging about 184 runs in T20Is. The outfield’s quick speed helps with stroke play even more. Pacers may find some help early on, particularly with the new ball, as seen in the last two games here.
Head-to-head-record:
Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans have gone up against each other 20 times, with Lahore winning 9 of those, including their two wins in the final over the Sultans, who have won 11 of these encounters.
In Gaddafi Stadium, the head-to-head difference gets smaller, with the home team winning 5 and the Sultans winning 4 out of 9 games.
Prediction
Lahore Qalandars will win this game because of the home ground advantage and because Multan will not have played any game this year here, while Lahore have played a game at this venue.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan (TV): A Sports HD, PTV Sports
Pakistan (Live Streaming): tapmad, Tamasha, Daraz, myco, begin
UK: Sky Sports, Geo News (Sky 734)
North America: Willow
Africa: SuperSport
MENA Region: myco
Bangladesh: T Sports
India: Sports Central (YouTube)
Rest of the World: Sports Central (YouTube)
