Multan Sultans registered their first win of the campaign courtesy of a brilliant innings by Mohammad Rizwan and Sohaib Maqsood. Lahore were unable to handle the two batsmen as they took the game away from Lahore. As a result, Multan have moved up to fourth spot and Lahore have dropped down one position to the second spot in the PSL points table.
Ealier, Mohammad Hafeez continued his sublime form with a brilliant innings of 60 off 35 balls, his innings included 5 huge sixes as well. He helped them to a respectable total of 156, but at the end of the day it wasn’t enough.
Shaheen Afridi did his best as he took the wicket of Australian opener Chris Lynn in the first over of the innings, but he wasn’t ably supported by his fellow bowlers and the fielders. Rizwan was named as man of the match for his magnificent knock of 76 off 49 balls.
Multan Sultans will be looking to register their first win of the campaign against an in-form Lahore Qalandars side. Lahore currently sit on top of the PSL 6 points table after winning both of their matches. Lahore beat Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators in the two matches they have played so far, while Multan have lost to Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi.
Multan have struggled as a bowling unit as they have failed to defend their totals twice, with their most experienced pace, Sohail Tanvir conceding heavily in the last few overs. Their bowling unit definitely needs to strengthen and veteran pacer, Sohail Khan could be in for a debut for the franchise.
Lahore on the other hand have been pretty solid as their batsmen are in sublime form and the bowling unit received a boost with the comeback of Haris Rauf in the squad. Unfortunately, they will be without their marquee signing, Rashid Khan for the rest of the tournament. Expect another debutant, English all-rounder, Tom Abell to come into the playing XI.
The match will begin at 3 pm Pakistan Standard Time as both the teams lock horns in an exciting contest. The match will be live-streamed here.
Match Details
| Date | Friday, 26th February 2021 |
| Time | 03:00 pm PST |
| Venue | National Stadium Karachi |
| Live Stream | LINK |
Head-to-Head
Both teams have encountered each other seven times in the tournament. Lahore have had an upper hand, winning 4 and losing 3. Multan will be looking to equaling the wins column.
Playing XIs
Lahore Qalandars:
Sohail Akhtar (c), Fakhar Zaman, Joe Denly, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk (wk), Samit Patel, David Wiese, Ahmed Daniyal, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Salman Mirza
Multan Sultans:
Mohammad Rizwan (c, wk), Chris Lynn, James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Sohaib Maqsood, Khushdil Shah, Carlos Brathwaite, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Qadir, Shahnawaz Dhani
Players to Lookout For
Lahore Qalandars:
Haris Rauf is an exceptional T20 bowler and he showcased his class in the previous match against Quetta Gladiators, picking up three wickets. Rauf will once again be crucial for Lahore Qalandars in this match. He will have to be on top of his game to restrict the destructive Multan Sultans top order.
Multan Sultans:
Khushdil Shah is one of the most revered power-hitters in the country but his form has been shaky lately. He is due a big innings and the stage might be set for Khushdil to smash the bowlers all over the park. Multan will be relying on him to hit big at the backend of the innings.
Check out the updated PSL points table here
