After losing a super over thriller to Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans will have another crack to make it to the final as they take on Lahore Qalandars tonight in the Eliminator 2 of the PSL 2020.
Ravi Bopara was the only batsman who impressed for the Sultans with his knock of 40. The skipper, Shan Masood failed and the big-hitting Shahid Afridi got out just for 12. In the end, Sohail Tanvir's quick-fire 25 got them to a respectable total.
Tanvir also starred with the ball bagging three wickets while Imran Tahir and Mohammad Ilyas controlled the run flow effectively.
The likes of Rilee Rossouw and Khushdil Shah need to step up for the Sultans.
On the other hand, Lahore would be worried about the form of their openers, Fakhar Zaman and Tamim Iqbal who got out cheaply. Mohammad Hafeez continued his strong showing with the bat smashing an unbeaten 74. He got good support from Ben Dunk and Samit Patel before David Wiese finished off in style with two big hits above the fence.
While Shaheen Afridi maintained a tight leash and got wickets at regular intervals, Haris Rauf and David Wiese conceded too many runs at the death. Dilbar Hussain was the pick of the bowlers scalping three wickets for 33 runs.
Team News
Multan can try out Joe Denly instead of a struggling Adam Lyth. They can also recall Junaid Khan instead of Mohammad Irfan. Lahore may not change their squad as all of them are pitching in.
Pitch and Conditions
With the chasing teams winning both the matches yesterday, the team winning the toss can opt to field first. The weather is expected to be calm without any chances of a downpour. 170-180 runs would represent a par score.
Probable Playing XI
Multan Sultans: Zeeshan Ashraf (WK), Joe Denly, Shan Masood (C), Rilee Rossouw, Ravi Bopara, Khushdil Shah, Shahid Afridi, Imran Tahir, Mohd Ilyas, Sohail Tanvir, Junaid Khan
Lahore Qalandars: Tamim Iqbal, Fakhar Zaman, Ben Dunk (WK), Mohd Hafeez, Sohail Akthar (C), David Wiese, Samit Patel, Muhammad Faizan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Dilbar Hussain
Key Battles:
Shan Masood vs Shaheen Afridi
Masood was runout for just three runs in the last match. He needs to step us this match as his team's batting order looks shaky at the moment.
Afridi picked two crucial wickets in the last match. His ability to bowl very fast coupled up with his fine variations at the death would trouble Multan's batsmen.
Mohammad Hafeez vs Sohail Tanvir
Hafeez was the man of the match with his match-winning 74. He was at his best with his serene cover drives and fiery cut shots.
On the other hand, Tanvir breathed fire dismissing both the openers of Karachi Kings. His slower balls and intelligent variation can unsettle Hafeez who has scored 291 runs so far in this tournament.
Prediction
Lahore will be more optimistic about their performance coming into this match. Sultan's batsmen have to score heavily. Lahore has the edge in form with their deep batting lineup and quality bowling.
Cricwizz predicts Lahore Qalandars to win the Eliminator 2
