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PSL 6: With top spot up for grabs, Islamabad face the Lahore Challenge

Come 4th of March and Karachi Kings would be removed from the top spot in the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League. It would be courtesy either Islamabad United or Lahore Qalandars, as the two teams with equal number points as Karachi would face off in a high voltage Thursday night clash. 

Both Qalandars and United are coming on the back of comprehensive wins. While the Sohail Akhtar led side downed Karachi in an impressive chase, United battered Quetta in an almost one-sided clash. This would be the first meeting of the two teams in this edition of the league, where Lahore would have the chance to register their first-ever win against the side from the Capital in their last six meetings. 

Lamichhane' entry would make Lahore stronger

With Lahore getting the replacement of Rashid Khan in the form of Nepalese Sandeep Lamichhane, the Qalandars will now get even stronger in this game as a leg spinner was the only thing they were lacking. Samit Patel has been taken for cleaners and with Ben Dunk and David Wiese returning to form, Lamichhane becomes an obvious choice for the Qalandars think tank. 

The other area that needs to be worked at by the Qalandars is the form of their skipper. Although in the last game he got out without even facing the ball, the form for the 35-year-old has been a reason of worry for his team. If and when he gets going, Lahore will become a deadly batting side, that no team would like to face. 

Islamabad fast bowling a threat to Lahore

The fast bowling in this edition of the PSL has been exemplary. As a result of that, There are nine fast bowlers in the list of top 10 wicket-takers this season. The Islamabad side has got some fine pace bowlers in the form of Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Faheem Ashraf. They are a deadly trio, well supported by the likes of Lewis Gregory and Shadab Khan, complimenting their wicket-taking abilities with their economical bowling. 

The Qlanadars’ strong position is their batting and if United pacers could take out the likes of Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman and Ben Dunk, then the going would get difficult for the Lahore team. 

Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United: Match Details

Match Number- 15

Date and Time: 04th March 2021, 07:30 pm IST, 07:00 pm PST, 02:00 pm IST

Venue: National Stadium, Karachi

Broadcast and Live Stream: Sony SIX, Sony LIV

Pitch Report

Enough has been said about the pitch so far and people have seen enough of it as well. No doubt it is a sporting pitch,  a t20 friendly pitch with a lot of runs on offer, but with all these qualities, the dew is making it a lot more predictable than it should be. All the totals are getting chased and people can almost predict the result just by knowing the result of the toss. A similar pitch is expected for this game as well. But it would be a real surprise if some team is able to defend a target at the NSK. 

Weather and Toss

The toss has no doubt been the most crucial part of any game at Karachi. Thus in this game too, the captains of both the teams and their fans would be praying to all their gods so that the coin flip comes in their favour. The team winning the toss would obviously be fielding first. 

The weather is another predictable thing at Karachi with clear skies and temperatures between 20 to 27 degrees welcoming the players and the fans to the ground. Perfect weather for cricket sans the dew of course. 

Probable XI

Lahore Qalandars

Fakhar Zaman, Zeeshan Ashraf, Joe Denly, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohail Akhtar (c), Ben Dunk (wk), David Wiese, Shaheen Afridi, Ahmed Daniyal, Sandeep Lamichhane, Haris Rauf

Islamabad United

Paul Stirling, Alex Hales, Shadab Khan (c), Iftikhar Ahmed, Rohail Nazir (wk), Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Musa

Dream XI / Fantasy XI Suggestions

Fakhar Zaman, Alex Hales (vc), Mohammad Hafeez (c), Asif Ali, Ben Dunk, Rohail Nazir, David Wiese, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Sandeep Lamichhane, Haris Rauf 

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