PSL 2021, match preview: Lahore Qalandars take on Quetta Gladiators today

Qalandars started its PSL campaign with a 4-wicket win against Peshawar Zalmi

Faizan Lakhani

February 22, 2021

Lahore Qalandars will aim to continue their winning streak when they take on Quetta Gladiators today
Gladiators will be aiming to fight back against a strong Lahore team
Both the teams have faced each other 10 times with win-loss leveled at 5-each

KARACHI: Lahore Qalandars will aim to continue their winning streak when they take on Quetta Gladiators in match number 4 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Monday.

Qalandars started their PSL campaign with a 4-wicket win against Peshawar Zalmi while Quetta, the 2019 winners, went down against Karachi Kings in the tournament's opener.

Gladiators will be aiming to fight back against a strong Lahore team.

Both the teams have faced each other 10 times with win-loss leveled at 5-each. However, Qalandars had defeated Gladiators in both games last season. Sohail Akhtar-led side, after a win over Zalmi in the first match, must be confident to repeat the same against Sarfaraz XI.

Lahore, the runners-up of the 2020 edition, will pin their hopes on Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez once again. Pakistan’s international duo played an instrumental role in team’s win in the first match.

The debutant, Salman Mirza, is also likely to be retained by them as the young bowler from Lahore impressed everyone with his 2-35 on Sunday’s match against Peshawar Zalmi.

Most likely, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan will be going back home after this game and he will, for sure, try to make it memorable for himself and his team before he flies back home to join Afghanistan’s team for the series against Zimbabwe.

Similarly, Gladiators will be hoping for the same from Chris Gayle who is also set to return home to join the West Indies squad for the series against Sri Lanka.

Gayle scored 39 off 24 in the first match for Gladiators in a losing cause. The team’s head coach Moin Khan will hope for another powerful inning from the Jamaican cricketer.

However, the form of other players must be a matter of concern for him.

Tom Banton, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Azam Khan, Ben Cutting, and Mohammad Nawaz will have to put some scores against their name on the scorecard.

Mohammad Hasnain’s form will be a boost for the team. Quetta will have to rely on their bowling to give the side some confidence in the second match as their batsmen were seen struggling in the opening match.

Players to watch:

Quetta Gladiators: Mohammad Hasnain, Chris Gayle

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez.

Squads:

Lahore Qalandars: Ben Dunk, David Wiese, Dilbar Hussain, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Akhtar, Rashid Khan, Joe Denly, Samit Patel, Tom Abell, Zeeshan Ashraf, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Faizan, Maaz Khan, Zaid Alam, Ahmed Danyal

Quetta Gladiators: Sarfaraz Ahmed, Qais Ahmad, Anwar Ali, Saim Ayub, Tom Banton, Ben Cutting, Cameron Delport, Chris Gayle, Mohammad Hasnain, Arish Ali Khan, Azam Khan, Hassan Khan, Usman Khan, Zahid Mahmood, Abdul Nasir, Mohammad Nawaz, Faf du Plessis, Naseem Shah, Usman Khan Shinwari, Dale Steyn