Lahore Qalandars became the first team to defeat Multan Sultans in the ongoing seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Lahore have now climbed up to the second spot in the PSL points table and look set to qualify for the PSL play-offs for the second time in their history. Meanwhile, Multan sit comfortably at the top of the table despite losing the encounter.
Lahore started the Lahore-leg in style as their batting continued a superb run of form. Opener Fakhar Zaman in particular was magnificent as usual as he scored his fourth half-century in the competition. Veteran middle-order batter Mohammad Hafeez provided the fireworks at the backend of the innings to help the Qalandars to post a challenging 182/4 on the board.
Meanwhile, Multan’s batting struggled for the first time this season. Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan went cheaply and the rest of the batters followed suit without troubling the Qalandars bowlers. Multan were ultimately bundled out for 130 as they lost the match by 52 runs.
Fakhar Zaman was named as player of the match for his innings of 60 off 37 balls.
Pre Match
Lahore Qalandars will face Multan Sultans in the 17th match of the PSL 2022 on Friday, 11 February. The match, scheduled at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, will start at 7:30 pm PKT.
Match Preview
Multan Sultans have all but qualified for the PSL 7 playoffs after winning their first six matches of the season. Lahore Qalandars, on the other hand, have all to play for as they face the Janoobis in a high-octane clash in front of a roaring home crowd. A win for Lahore will take them ahead of Islamabad in the second position while they will stay at the third spot if Multan register their seventh consecutive victory in the competition.Lahore have been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the tournament so far. Their explosive batting unit headlined by an in-form Fakhar Zaman and their world-class bowling unit of Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf makes them one of the most dangerous sides in the competition. They will be determined to bounce back quickly after their disappointing loss against Quetta in their previous outing and they will be offered an added boost with playing in front of their home crowd.
Multan have been exceptional throughout the tournament and it does not look like they will ever lose a cricket match. They have been expertly led by Mohammad Rizwan and the whole team has contributed to their exceptional run over the past two seasons. They will look to test their bench strength in the upcoming matches and make sure they are prepared for the challenge in the play-offs.
Lahore will likely name an unchanged XI while Multan will make a few changes to their line-up. Asif Afridi, Rizwan Hussain, and Rumman Raees are likely to come into the team instead of Shahnawaz Dahani, Sohaib Maqsood, and Imran Tahir.
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