PSL 2021: Karachi Kings to lock horns against Multan Sultans today

By
Faizan Lakhani
|
Multan Sultans cricketers celebrate after dismissing a Karachi Kings batsman. Photo: PSL Twitter

Defending champions Karachi Kings will take on the struggling Multan Sultans in match number 16 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 on Thursday, at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.

The weather is expected to play an important role in testing the players' commitment. The Karachi Kings had a good run in the first phase of the PSL in Karachi, winning three out of their five matches. The Sultans, on the other hand, had managed to win just one of the five games it played in first leg of the tournament.

This is the second leg of the match between the two sides, with the first in Karachi being played between the two sides earlier. It was a one-sided affair even after the Sultan posed a mammoth total on the board, only to be comfortably chased by the Kings, who won the game with seven wickets in hand and in less than 19 overs.

However, Karachi will be without Joe Clarke, who made 54 off 26 in that game. Mohammad Nabi, Daniel Christian and Colin Ingram are also out of the Kings dugout but thr arrival of Martin Guptill will surely add some value to Kings batting line up. 

However, they are more likely to depend on local talents Babar Azam and Sharjeel Khan when it comes to their batting while Mohammad Amir will be among the key bowlers for the franchise. 

Sultans

The Multan Sultans no longer have Vince, Lynn, Afridi, and Brathwaite in their midst but Mohammad Rizwan looks on top of his form and will be the key for them, along with Shimron Hetmyer and Rahmanullah Gurbaz for the team’s batting line.

Blessing Muzarabani, a late inclusion in place of Obed McCoy and Shahnawaz Dahani will both be important for their pace while the spin duo of Usman Qadir and Imran Tahir have the ability to trouble any batting side in the world.

The Sultans, who are slightly ahead of Quetta Gladiators on the points table because of a better run-rate, will attempt to improve their standing in the tournament.

History, though, favors Karachi Kings who have won seven out of the eight times the two teams have clashed against each other in PSL. 

Players to watch out for: Mohammad Aamir, Babar Azam (Karachi Kings), Mohammad Rizwan, Shahnawaz Dahani (Multan Sultans).

Squads:

Karachi Kings: Imad Wasim, Martin Guptil, Babar Azam, Mohammad Aamir, Thisara Perera, Amir Yamin, Chadwick Walton, Sharjeel Khan, Waqas Maqsood, Muhammad Ilyas, Zeeshan Malik, Danish Aziz, Najeebullah Zadran, Arshad Iqbal, Qasim Akram, Abbas Afridi, Noor Ahmed and Mohammad Haris.

Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw, Shimron Hetmyer, Sohail Tanveer, Imran Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shahn Masood, Johnson Charles, Usman Qadir, Sohail Khan, Suhaib Maqsood, Sohaibullah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shahnawaz Dahani, Muhammad Umar, Imran Khan snr. Blessing Muzarabani, Asif Afridi, Waseem Mohammad and Hammad Azam.

March starts at: 6:00pm PKT