Multan Sultans were on a roll when they played Quetta Gladiators on Wednesday. First opener Shan Masood hammered the Quetta Gladiators all around the park to notch up a 42-ball 73 and helped his side put up 183/5 in 20 overs.
Later, the bowlers especially Imran Tahir ripped through the Gladiators batting unit and bundled them out for 73 to win the match by 110 runs. The win was a crucial one for Sultans as they got some important points but the margin of this victory has helped them to better their net run-rate.
The Sultans would now be up against Lahore Qalandars on Friday in Abu Dhabi.
In the first 8 matches that Qalandars played, they etched victory in five of them and had 10 points under their belt. They have balanced line up which can be lethal on the given day.
Match Details
Match: Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars
Date and Time: 18th June – 9:30 PM IST
Telecast: Sony Sports Network
Pitch Report
The tracks in Abu Dhabi have something on offer for the spinners for sure. In the match between Sultans and Gladiator, Imran Tahir took good advantage of the conditions and helped his side win the match comprehensively.
But the dew can also play a major role in assisting the team who bats second. So, if you win the toss, bowl first.
Team News
Multan Sultans: Multan Sultans would be riding high on their performance against the Quetta Gladiators. The Mohammad Rizcan-led side was exceptionally good with their batting, bowling and fielding and would be looking to continue to do what they did in the last game.
The kind of performance that Imran Tahir unleashed against Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side is something that has added strength to the team. The Multan team just needs to carry that form forward now.
Multan would be without the services of Shimron Hetmyer who is a part of the West Indies squad for the T20I series against South Africa at home.
Lahore Qalandars: Lahore Qalandars on the other side, have a pretty balanced side.
The likes of Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk make a brilliant batting line up while the presence of James Faulkner, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf form an incredible bowling unit.
Zaman who has shown his talent at the highest level can give the side a brisk start while Hafeez can take up the responsibility to stick around and score runs quickly in the later stages of the innings.
Ben Dunk would have the responsibility to go after the bowlers if he is coming out to bat in the death overs.
It would be an interesting contest to see how the two spinners fare in this clash.
Probable XI
Multan Sultans: Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan (c&wk), Sohaib Maqsood, Rille Rossouw, Charles, Khushdil Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Blessing Muzarabani, Shahnawaz Dhani, Imran Khan, Imran Tahir.
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar(c), Zeeshan Sharaf, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk, Tim David, Rashid Khan, Ahmed Daniyal, James Faulkner, Shaheen Afridi, Harish Rauf.
Fantasy XI
Fakhar Zaman, Shan Masood, Rizwan, Rille Rossouw, Charles, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk, Tim David, Rashid Khan (VC), James Faulkner (C), Shaheen Afridi