Lahore Qalandars are all set to face Islamabad United in the opening match of the ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at Gaddafi Stadium today.
Islamabad United have clinched the PSL trophy twice in their history with triumphs in 2016 and 2018, while Lahore’s fate has finally changed as they finished at the bottom in the early years of the competition but now find themselves with two back-to-back titles and a tag of ‘Defending Champions.’
An epic showdown awaits us as both teams have quality and world-class players in their side, both teams will be looking to tick off a winning start as 2 points on the board will be crucial in the opening game.
However, Islamabad United seems like a more balanced and formidable side with players like Naseem Shah, Imad Wasim, and Ubaid Shah coming into their team after the initial draft picks but they will miss their pinch hitter Asif Ali as it will be difficult to fill his role down the order.
Lahore Qalandars’ biggest test will be to counter the absence of Rashid Khan due to injury, the lethal leg spinner will not get them out of jail this time around in crunch moments, and will be interesting to see how they cope without their talismanic spinner.
Head-To-Head Record
In their 17 PSL encounters Islamabad United has won 8 matches whereas Lahore Qalandars has registered 9 wins against them. It has been a close battle but in the last three years, the Qalandars have tormented United. Since 2022 the Qalandars have triumphed over Islamabad United in all 5 matches.
You can check out the full PSL schedule here
The Shadab-led side will be eager to win the match and dethrone the opposition early on in the competition. Fans can expect a thrilling encounter as the top two teams battle it in the PSL 2024..
| Teams | Matches | Win | Loss |
| Islamabad United | 17 | 8 | 9 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 9 | 8 |
Pitch Report
Traditionally the pitch in Lahore is often labeled as a ‘batting paradise’ with seamers getting some help in the early overs but moderate rain is expected in the early spell of PSL matches in Lahore, especially February 19 and February 20. But a high-scoring match is on the cards if the sky remains clear tonight. The Gaddafi Stadium has witnessed a score of above 200 four times in PSL history.
Expected Playing XIs
Check out the PSL 9 squads here
Lahore Qalandars:
| Mirza Tahir Baig | Fakhar Zaman | Rassie van der Dussen | Abdullah Shafique | Lorcan Tucker (wk) | Sikandar Raza |
| David Wiese | Shaheen Afridi (c) | Haris Rauf | Zaman Khan | Syed Faridoun |
Islamabad United:
| Alex Hales | Shamyl Hussain | Colin Munro | Salman Ali Agha | Azam Khan (wk) | Shadab Khan |
| Imad Wasim | Faheem Ashraf | Naseem Shah | Tymal Mills | Ubaid Shah |
Check out the PSL 9 Points Table here.
