PSL Match 15: QG vs LQ Preview

Today, Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars are going will face each other in the 15th match of the Pakistan Super League at National Stadium, Karachi. It is the last match to be played at this venue this PSL season.

The Sarfaraz Ahmed led Quetta Gladiators are in second-last position in the points table having lost three out of four matches so far. They managed to win against Karachi in their 3rd game but failed to carry-on the momentum further. Bowling has been a bit of concern for QGL as they consistently bleed a lot of runs. The team would surely look to bounce back in the last game of first leg, today.

On the other hand, Lahore Qalandars are having a ball in PSL 2022. Having lost just a game out of 4 they’ve played so far, they are well placed at 3rd position in the points table. Qalandars have looked solid in both the departments and are well led by Shaheen Afridi so far. The quartet of their bowlers has been fantastic and they would look at continuing their fine momentum going forward.

The interesting thing is that out of 14 games played till now, initial 6 games were won by the chasing team while the next 8 games have resulted in the favor of batting first team. Will the trend continue ? We shall find out.
 

Probable Playing XIs

Quetta Gladiators : Abdul Bangalzai, Ahsan Ali, James Vince, Ben Duckett, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, Sohail Tanvir, James Faulkner, Naseem Shah

Lahore Qalandars : Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Ghulam, Harry Brook, Philip Salt (wk), Rashid Khan, David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi (c), Zaman Khan

Head to Head 

Overall: Both teams are tied at 6-6
Last 5 games: Lahore leads 4-1
At Karachi: Both teams are tied at 1-1

Match Ups

Quetta Gladiators
Vince vs Shaheen : 23 runs off 18 balls with 2 dismissals
Vince vs Rauf : 21 runs off 15 balls with no dismissals
Duckett vs Rashid : 30 runs off 22 balls with 1 dismissal
Duckett vs Shaheen : 4 runs off 3 balls with 1 dismissal
Sarfaraz vs Shaheen : 29 runs off 22 balls with 0 dismissals
Iftikhar vs Rauf : 32 runs off 28 balls with 2 dismissals

Lahore Qalandars
Fakhar vs Shahid : 27 runs off 25 balls with 2 dismissals
Fakhar vs Nawaz : 36 runs off 38 balls with 3 dismissals
Hafeez vs Shahid : 40 runs of 42 balls with 3 dismissals
Hafeez vs Nawaz : 87 runs off 70 balls with 4 dismissals
Salt vs Shahid : 0 run off 1 ball with 1 dismissal
Salt vs Faulkner : 37 runs off 20 balls with 2 dismissals
Rashid vs Nawaz : 2 runs off 5 balls with 1 dismissal

Key Players

Quetta Gladiators 

Ahsan Ali : Opener Ahsan Ali has been impressive and is the top run scorer for his side in the PSL 2022 so far. He has managed to score 204 runs striking at 151.11 which includes three 50+ scores. QGL would want him to continue his form.

James Faulkner : The veteran all-rounder JP Faulkner is an important player for his side and has been up to the mark with the expectations so far. He has managed to scalp 4 wickets and score 48 runs of 2 innings with the bat. Again, he would aim at taking the crucial wickets in the early-middle overs.

Mohammad Nawaz : Mohammad Nawaz has looked decent in both the departments including bowling and batting. Being the top wicket taker for QGL, he has scalped 6 wickets so far and would be looking for few more against Qalandars. Giving early breakthroughs in the batting power play will be the key for him and his team.

Lahore Qalandars 

Fakhar Zaman : Fakhar Zaman is enjoying the PSL 2022 season the most. He is in phenomenal form and will be looking to continue that form further as well. Being top run scorer of PSL 2022 season so far he has managed to score 286 runs at a mighty SR of 178.75. He is the biggest threat for the opposition.

Mohammad Hafeez : Experienced Mohammad Hafeez did not get going last time, but has a lot of quality and plenty to offer. Hafeez is the backbone of the middle order and needs to step up to lead from the front. 

Shaheen Afridi : The leader of a formidable bowling attack of LHQ, Shaheen has been pretty decent so far. He's the top wicket taker for his side and has scalped 7 wickets bowling at 7.12 of  economy. And still many believe that a match winning spell is due from him which is expected to come soon.


 

Fantasy Prediction 

Captain and Vice Captain Picks 

Fakhar Zaman
Mohammad Nawaz
Ahsan Ali
Shahid Afridi (Risky)
Rashid Khan (Bowling 2nd)