The second match of the double-header Saturday will feature the Eliminator 1 encounter between the third placed Lahore Qalandars and the fourth placed Peshawar Zalmi at the National Stadium in Karachi. The match will be a knock- out between the two sides for a shot at the PSL 2020 Eliminator 2, which could get them a step closer to the Grand Finale.
The two teams have faced each other twice in this season and stand a piece each. Both the teams have been very hard to separate on the sheets and for that reason we have a thriller in our hands. The first encounter between the two sides saw Peshawar Zalmi come out the best by the margin of 16 runs. The second encounter witnessed a high- scoring thriller which saw the Lahore Qalandars win the match by 5 wickets in the penultimate ball of the match.
Lahore Qalandars will come into this crucial encounter on the back of a thumping 9- wicket win over the table toppers Multan Sultans. While, the Peshawar Zalmi had a close encounter with the Multan Sultans which went in favor of the Sultans by a narrow margin of three runs.
Both the teams have one bite at the cherry. Which one of them could move one step closer to the big prize?
Match Toss Time: 19:30 Local (20:00 IST)
Match Start Time: 20:00 Local (20:30 IST)
Match Venue: National Stadium, Karachi
Weather Report
Clear skies are expected throughout the day with no chances of rain whatsoever. The temperatures are expected to be hovering around the 21 degree range and the humidity at peak is expected to touch the 39 percent mark.
Pitch
The Karachi wicket is known for being batsmen friendly. Said that, the pitch does offer some assistance for the bowlers, the pacers could enjoy the initial movement offered by the pitch. But the fact that the pitch has not been competitive for over eight months now, it could be interesting to see how the pitch behaves.
With both the matches to be scheduled at the same venue it could definitely mean that this encounter be a low- scoring one. The due is also expected to play a vital role and for that reason the team winning the toss should be looking to chase.
Team News
A huge blow for Lahore side as they have to play the play- offs without their star Australian Batsman Chris Lynn. Tamim Iqbal is named the replacement for the Australian. While the rest of the team is likely to be unchanged as they looked well in touch throughout the season.
Kieron Pollard, who was the star player for Peshawar Zalmi was previously ruled out of the tournament and that is said to continue for the play- offs as well. But they will be happy as they have signed up the former proteas skipper and CSK star batsman Faf du Plessis. The other notable changes are of English cricketers Liam Livingstone and Liam Dawson missing out. English Pacer Saqib Mahmood and South African spearhead Hardus Viljeon have been named his replacements.
Probable Playing Xl
Lahore Qalandars (LHQ): Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal, Sohail Akhtar (c), Ben Dunk (wk), Mohammad Hafeez, David Wiese, Samit Patel, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Raja Farzan, Dilbar Hussain
Peshawar Zalmi (PSZ): Kamran Akmal (wk), Imam-ul-Haq, Faf du Plessis, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Hardus Viljoen, Wahab Riaz (c), Hasan Ali, Saqib Mahmood, Rahat Ali, Yasir Shah
LHQ vs PSZ Fantasy Team
Ben Dunk, Kamran Akmal, Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Samit Patel, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz
Captain Picks: Ben Dunk (LHQ), Kamran Akmal (PSZ)
Vice- Captain Picks: Haider Ali (PSZ), Mohammad Hafeez (LHQ)
Disclaimer
All the information on Cricwizz is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. The website does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability and accuracy of this information. The website will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website.
