Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars, PSL T20 2023, Today Match Prediction 19 February 2023

krk vs lhq Match Prediction & Analysis

Karachi Kings suffered their third straight defeat of PSL 2023 after losing to Quetta Gladiators on February 18 at the National Stadium, Karachi. Karachi are yet to open their account this season and have been relegated to the bottom of the points table with a poor net run rate of -0.476. Their next opponents are Lahore Qalandars who have started their season on a winning note and are 3rd on the table with a net run rate of +0.050.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Karachi Kings Preview

Things have gone from bad to worse for Karachi Kings. They have now lost their first 3 matches of the season and desperately need a win to stay afloat. In their previous game, Karachi floundered while chasing a moderate target of 169 against Quetta Gladiators, falling short by 6 runs. It was another poor batting performance where only Shoaib Malik (71 off 49 balls) could put up a score of some substance. Malik, one of the most experienced T20 batters in the world, will again be the one to watch out for Karachi Kings.

Karachi, however, would need the likes of Matthew Wade, James Vince, and Sharjeel Khan to get some runs, as they have been inconsistent so far. Haider Ali, who scored a brilliant 59 off 45 balls against Islamabad United, can be their impact player in this game.

Captain Imad Wasim has been the best bowler for Karachi, taking 4 wickets with left-arm spin at an economy of 7. Fast bowler Mohammad Amir (3 wickets in 3 innings at an economy of 7.91) has looked in good rhythm too and is expected to do well in this match.

Karachi Kings Predicted Playing XI:

James Vince, Sharjeel Khan, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Matthew Wade (wk), Imad Wasim (c), Irfan Khan, James Fuller, Andrew Tye, Muhammad Musa, Mohammad Amir

Karachi Kings Actual Playing XI:

Imran Tahir, James Vince, Imad Wasim, Matthew Wade, Ben Cutting, Mohammad Amir, Aamer Yamin, Irfan Khan, Shoaib Malik, Haider Ali, Akif Javed

Lahore Qalandars Preview

Lahore Qalandars haven’t played a game after their thrilling season opener against Multan Sultans, which they won by just 1 run while defending a target of 176. Opener Fakhar Zaman set the tone of the innings with a fantastic knock of 66 off 42 balls. Shai Hope, Sikandar Raza, and David Wiese provide stability to Lahore’s middle-order. Kamran Ghulam is another batter to watch out for. He was amongst the top five run-getters in the recent Pakistan Cup, collecting 435 runs in 6 innings at an average of 145 and a strike rate of 101.16.

Lahore’s bowling will be led by Shaheen Afridi. The exciting pace sensation, along with Haris Rauf, gives Lahore one of the most dangerous new ball combinations in the tournament. Sikandar Raza can keep things tight in the middle overs with his offbreaks, while the wily David Wiese’s cutters can be quite handy on this surface. Wiese has 251 wickets along with 3671 runs in T20 and can prove to be the most important player for Lahore this season.

Lahore Qalandars Predicted Playing XI:

Fakhar Zaman, Shai Hope (wk), Mirza Tahir Baig, Kamran Ghulam, Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Liam Dawson, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi (c), Zaman Khan

Lahore Qalandars Actual Playing XI:

Sikandar Raza, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Zaman Khan, Tahir Baig, Hussain Talat, Shaheen Afridi, Liam Dawson, David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Shai Hope

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at the National Stadium in Karachi is a paradise for batters. The ball comes on nicely to the bat and the batters can hit through the line. There’s an even amount of bounce, and fast bowlers will enjoy bowling when the pitch is still fresh.

The weather in Karachi during the match will be cool and pleasant.

Venue Details

The average score batting first at the National Stadium in Karachi in the PSL is 173. The highest total posted on the venue is 238-5 by Islamabad United. The boundaries of the ground are very small, so we can expect another high-scoring encounter here. The team batting first should look to set a target of around 180-190 runs.

Toss: To Bowl

This venue has yielded better results for the team batting second. Out of the 53 PSL matches played here, 34 have been won by the side chasing. Expect the team winning the toss to field first.