The Lahore Qalandars are coming into PSL 2024 as the defending champions (Source: x.com)
The ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League is upon us. The tournament will begin with the defending champion, Lahore Qalandars, taking on the two-time champion, Islamabad United.
Ahead of the match, let us take a deeper dive into the Qalandars squad and try to have an idea about the Strengths and Weaknesses of the team.
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Before further analysis, let us look at the Qalandars Squad for the 2024 season.
Lahore Qalandars Squad for PSL 9
Batters: Fakhar Zaman, Rassie van der Dussen, Sahibzada Farhan, Abudllah Shafique, Daniel Lawrence, Mirza Tahir Baig, Shai Hope, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Lorcan Tucker.
All-rounders: David Wiese, Sikandar Raza, Ahsan Bhatti, Jahandad Khan, Kamran Ghulam.
Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, Mohammad Imran Jr., Syed Faridoun, Tayyab Abbas.
Strength of Lahore Qalandars
Strong Pace Unit
The defending champions boast of a very strong pace bowling unit. The skipper, Shaheen Afridi, will be responsible for providing them with strong starts with the ball. They have the likes of Zaman Khan and Haris Rauf for deathovers. The new recruit, Mohammad Imran Jr. alon with David Wiese, will only strengthen the pace battery of the team.
Shaheen Afridi, the Leader
As a skipper, Shaheen Afridi has been a true leader in the true sense of the word. He has led them to consecutive title wins and has been leading the team from the front. From taking the new ball to walking out to bat under pressure for the team's sake, Afridi has done it all. His leadership intuitions and the title-winning momentum that he has with him will be a great strength for the Qalandars.
Strong Top Order
The presence of players like Daniel Lawrence, Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa add significant strength and depth to Qalandar's top order. They have excellent top-order batters who can give them solid starts and have some brilliant backups in case they are needed during the tournament.
Weakness of the Lahore Qalandars
Weakness in the spin department
The unavailability of the Afghan superstar Rashid Khan has rendered the team's spin department weak. There is a bit of inexperience in the department, and once Sikandar Raza joins the team, he will have to play a significant role with the ball.
Opportunities for the Lahore Qalandars
Sikandar Raza, the all-rounder
After the first match, Sikandar Raza will be available for the tournament. He is coming into this tournament after a brilliant run in the ILT20 2024 league. Raza has performed with both the bat and the ball, and the Qalandars will hope he continues his excellent work in both trades.
Third consecutive title on the waiting
The Qalandars have emerged as a force to reckon with in the last two editions of the tournament. They have won the two titles and now have the rare opportunity of winning a franchise league three times on the bounce. Shaheen Afridi and his men will give their best to achieve this rare feat.
Threat for the Lahore Qalandars
Lack of power hitters in the middle-order
The likes of Rassie van der Dussen, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shai Hope, and Sikandar Raza will mainly comprise the middle-order of the team. Van der Dussen and Hope have the ability to build an innings. But they differ from the players who can attack from the beginning of their innings.
The onus will be on Rajapaksa and Raza to up the ante in the middle overs. Raza is in a fine form and in most matches he will try and complete the job assigned to him. But Rajapaksa's form remains volatile. Also, the Pakistan batters lack the experience of batting under pressure and hence the full responsibility will be on Raza. This might harm the chances of the team in some of the games.
Squad Rating - 7.5/10
Prediction of Lahore Qalandars for PSL 2024
If each player in the Qalandars squad perform to their full potential there is every chance that they will win their third consecutive title. Even if they do not lift the trophy, a place in the playoff is certain for the Shaheen Afridi-led unit.
 "Probuddha Bhattacharjee")
