KK vs LQ Match Preview
After losing to Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United in the first two matches, the Karachi Kings started their latest fixture against the Quetta Gladiators as the favorites to win.
It was once again a mediocre bowling effort as the Gladiators posted 168-7 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Captain Imad Wasim and Aamer Yamin, who was playing his first match of the season picked up 3 wickets each. The form of the Kings’ top two seamers, Mohammad Amir and Andrew Tye remains a cause of concern for the team.
Imran Tahir too has been quite ineffective so far and went wicketless in this match.
The chase began on shaky ground for Karachi as Sharjeel Khan and Haider Ali departed without disturbing the scorers. Shoaib Malik was once again in prime form as he scored a second half-century in 3 innings but failed to support at the other end. Matthew Wade and Imad Wasim got out cheaply and Karachi never really got going during the middle overs.
Fakhar Zaman scored a superb half-century for Lahore Qalandars in his previous match, making 66 runs off just 42 deliveries.
He was well supported by the other top-order batsmen, including Mirza Baig and Shai Hope to build a solid foundation, Hussain Talat's late cameo helped them score some crucial runs toward the end. All-rounders Sikandar Raza and David Weise looked a bit rusty as they weren’t able to score runs quickly. In the second innings, the Qalandars seemed to be heading for a certain defeat as the opening pair from the Sultans put up a 100-run partnership in just 12 overs.
But the pace attack consisting of captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Zaman Khan managed to hold their nerve till the end as they defeated the Sultans by 1 run.
Weather Report
The weather is expected to be a bit overcast with temperatures in the lower 20s.
Pitch Report
The National Stadium at Karachi is a batting paradise as all the 3 matches played here have been high-scoring encounters. The average first-inning scorer here is around 170. There is little in the pitch for the bowlers and they will need to bowl a good line and length to pick up wickets.
Notable stats
Imran Tahir’s Consistent Bowling
Age is just a number for this veteran South African spinner as he only seems to get better with age. In his 375 T20 appearances, Imran has picked up a whopping 467 wickets and has been pretty miserly too, giving away just 6.98 runs an over.
Team News
There are no reports regarding injuries from either side.
KK vs LQ Probable 11
KK Playing 11
- Sharjeel Khan
- James Vince
- Haider Ali
- Shoaib Malik
- Matthew Wade (Wk)
- Irfan Khan
- Imad Wasim (C)
- Aamer Yamin
- Andrew Tye
- Imran Tahir
- Mohammad Amir
LQ Playing 11
- Fakhar Zaman
- Shai Hope (Wk)
- Mirza Baig
- Kamran Ghulam
- Hussain Talat
- Sikandar Raza
- David Weise
- Liam Dawson
- Shaheen Afridi (C)
- Haris Rauf
- Zaman Khan
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Lahore Qalandars to win this match. The defending champions are well-rested after winning a close opening game against the Multan Sultans. The top-order batsmen including Fakhar Zaman, Mirza Baig, and Shai Hope are in good form and the team also has some good all-rounders in the form of Sikandar Raza and Hussain Talat. On the other hand, the Karachi Kings have lost 3 consecutive matches and are finding it very difficult to chart a winning path.
Top Picks
Shoaib Malik: Shoaib Malik is in excellent form at the moment and is by far the best batsman in the Karachi squad. He has scored 2 half-centuries in 3 innings and we expect him to play another good inning here.
Fakhar Zaman: Fakhar Zaman scored an excellent half-century in the opening game and laid a strong foundation for the other batsmen to build on. He has scored more than 5000 runs in T20 cricket and is a great asset for any team.
Sikandar Raza: Raza is an excellent all-rounder and had a great outing in the T20 World Cup played last year. He has scored 3142 runs in T20 cricket and has also picked up 83 wickets.
KK vs LQ Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: M Wade, S Hope
Batters: S Malik (C), H Ali, F Zaman
All-rounders: S Raza, H Talat, I Wasim (VC)
Bowlers: S Afridi, H Rauf, Z Khan
