LAHORE: Islamabad United won the toss and elected to bowl first against Lahore Qalandars in the 19th match of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Lahore Qalandars having involved in six outings, experienced a mixed season so far with three wins and three losses. They enter this contest on the back of a confidence-boosting five-wicket victory over Multan Sultans, successfully chasing down 186 with an over to spare.
Undefeated Islamabad United, the league leaders have been in imperious form, winning all five consecutive victories. Their most recent success also came against Multan Sultans, where they comfortably chased down 169 in just 17.1 overs.
Islamabad United holds a slight edge in the overall head-to-head record with 10 wins to Lahore’s 9 in their 19 PSL encounters. Their recent meetings have produced some memorable contests.
However, Lahore Qalandars, riding on the momentum of their recent are likely to field an unchanged XI. Their batting looks settled with the form of Fakhar Zaman, Daryl Mitchell, and Sikandar Raza, while their bowling attack led by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf remains formidable.
Islamabad United with five straight wins, have no reason to tinker with their winning combination. Their balanced lineup featuring strong international and local talent has performed consistently throughout the tournament.
Despite Lahore’s home advantage and recent return to winning ways, Islamabad’s perfect record and well-balanced squad give them a slight edge.
Squads
Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Daryl Mitchell (all platinum), Haris Rauf, Sikandar Raza and Kusal Perera (all diamond), Abdullah Shafique, Jahandad Khan and Zaman Khan (all gold), David Wiese, Asif Ali, Asif Afridi, Muhammad Akhlaq and Rishad Hossain (all silver), Momin Qamar and Momin Azab (both emerging), Muhammad Naeem, Salman Ali Mirza and Tom Curran (all supplementary).
Islamabad United: Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah (both platinum), Azam Khan, Imad Wasim and Jason Holder (all diamond), Haider Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Ben Dwarshuis (all gold), Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Andries Gous, Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Irshad (all silver), Hunain Shah, Muhammad Faiq and Saad Masood (both emerging), Kyle Mayers and Riley Meredith.
