Lahore Qalandars vs. Islamabad United: Can Islamabad Make a Comeback After the Last Defeat?

Teams are preparing for the final clash in the league stages of the Pakistan Super League. With the all-important playoffs just around the corner, injuries and mismanagement has taken over the Islamabad dugout. On the other hand, Lahore was taken to the cleaners by Karachi bowlers in the last game, where none of the Lahore top-order batters could produce solid innings. In order to retain the number 2nd spot in the points table, Lahore would have to win their game against Islamabad, who are too in search of a decent victory. With only 2 games to go for Lahore in this tournament, they would be looking to get back on track with a win against Islamabad United.

Last night, Lahore Qalandars were bamboozled by Karachi bowlers who bowled superbly well and restricted Qalandar batsmen to a limited chase. Going in the match against Islamabad Unites, Lahore would be hoping to learn from their mistakes and perform well under pressure. Lahore are certainly depending upon Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, and M.Hafeez in the batting department. However, in the bowling department, they are well covered with the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Rashid Khan. If Lahore are looking to win the upcoming encounter, they need to restrict Islamabad batters to low scores.

• Fakhar Zaman;
• David Wiese;
• Shaheen Afridi;
• Haris Rauf;
• Rashid Khan.

Islamabad United was in winning form until they were defeated by the heroics of Peshawar Zalmi. Islamabad would be missing their regular opening pair and strike spinner Shabad Khan in the game against Lahore. However, Islamabad took many positives from the game against Zalmi, including the master blaster innings of Azam Khan in the middle order, which gave Islamabad a chance of winning, for Islamabad Mohammad Waqas bowled superbly along with other replaced bowlers. In the upcoming game, Islamabad is likely to go with Hassan Ali, M. Waseem Jr., and Faheem Ashraf. In the batting department, they would depend upon Gurbaz Khan, Azam Khan, and Asif Ali. Islamabad would depend upon the experience of Hassan Ali and Faheem Ashraf to help them win the game against Lahore.

• Rahmanullah Gurbaz;
• ‌Asif Ali;
• ‌Azam Khan;
• Faheem Ashraf;
• ‌Merchant De Lange.

Considering the importance of the upcoming game, both teams would be looking to play with their best available players and win the game. Lahore is likely to win the upcoming game and dominate Islamabad United.