Babar Azam will be a good captaincy pick for this match.
Match Details
Match 27 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 will witness Karachi Kings locking horns with Lahore Qalandars at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (June 17).
This match will get underway at 11:30 PM IST and will be streamed live on SonyLIV
Preview
Lahore Qalandars have been on a roll this season and would like to continue their winning run. With five wins in eight outings, the Sohail Akhtar-led side is sitting pretty at third place in the team standings, and a win in this encounter would officially confirm their spot in the playoffs. However, they are coming off an 18-run defeat against Quetta Gladiators and would be raring to bounce back.
On the other hand, Karachi Kings are reeling at the penultimate spot in the team standings, and a loss in this clash would end their hopes of getting a place in the final four. As of now, the Karachi-based side has won just three of their eight matches. Moreover, they have lost all their three games after the season resumption. Hence, they would be underdogs for this game as well.
Predicted Playing XIs for KAR vs LAH
Karachi Kings
Sharjeel Khan, Martin Guptill, Babar Azam, Chadwick Walton (wk), Thisara Perera, Najeebullah Zadran, Imad Wasim (c), Mohd Amir, Arshad Iqbal, Waqas Maqsood and Abbas Afridi
Lahore Qalandars
Sohail Akthar (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Faheem Ashraf, Ben Dunk, Tim David, Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, James Faulkner, Shaheen Afridi and Ahmed Daniyal
Captaincy Picks
Babar Azam
One of the best batsmen going around, Babar Azam has been phenomenal in PSL 2021, and his numbers narrate the entire story. With 424 runs in eight outings, the talismanic cricketer is the second leading run-scorer of the season and would be determined to enhance his tally even further. Not to forget, Azam’s strike rate this tournament is touching 140.
Rashid Khan
The Afghanistan leg-spinner is another player who’s likely to shine in this game. Arguably the best spinner at present, Rashid can contain the run flow alongside taking wickets regularly. If that’s not enough, the dasher can also contribute with his massive hits lower down the order. The youngster has also been impressive in PSL 2021.
Fantasy Cricket Tips
2-Player Team
Babar Azam (C), Shaheen Afridi
3-Player Team
Rashid Khan (C), Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf
4-Player Team
Mohammad Hafeez, Sharjeel Khan (C), Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim
11-Player Team
Chadwick Walton, Najibullah Zadran, Babar Azam (C), Sharjeel Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Rashid Khan (VC), Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
