Peshawar Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars, PSL T20 2023, Today Match Prediction 07 March 2023

psz vs lhq Match Prediction & Analysis

Peshawar Zalmi are at number 4 and will be keen on improving their rankings in the points table with a win here. With 4 more games left in their league stage, there is a good chance of them finishing in the top 2.

Lahore Qalandars will be coming to Rawalpindi on the back of a 5-game winning streak that includes a win over PSZ in Lahore. There haven’t been any T20Is on this ground in Rawalpindi. It looks to be a good batting surface considering the last two PSL matches played here. 

Each of Lahore’s wins has come while batting first even when they were bowled out for 148 runs against Quetta. Following their loss against Lahore Qalandars while chasing a massive target of 242, Peshawar Zalmi registered a win against Karachi Kings at the Pindi Club Ground.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore scored his second consecutive fifty in the middle and with support from other lower-order batters, PSZ posted 197-run total batting first. Both teams have a strong batting lineup with quality finishers and will be competing neck and neck in this match.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Peshawar Zalmi Preview

Peshawar Zalmi are in a good position to settle scores with Lahore Qalandars as they face them in their second game at this venue. Though the top-order is a major concern with Mohammad Haris and Babar Azam not delivering consistently, the lower middle order has come to the rescue.

As Kohler-Cadmore scored yet another crucial fifty in the middle, he was supported well by Haseebullah Khan and Rovman Powell at 5 and 6 respectively. It was these 3 batters who led PSZ from 2-3 to 197-5.

It must have boosted their confidence which they would need a lot of when taking on the unstoppable Lahore Qalandars. The bowlers will be the ones under the scanner in this game. They let Lahore Qalandars get away in their last encounter.

Babar Azam will be expecting a better performance from Wahab Riaz and Arshad Iqbal with the ball. Riaz is the senior most player in this squad but hasn’t been in his best form lately. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Azmatullah Omarzai looked in great touch in the recent match and will be key bowlers for PSZ.

If either of the openers manages to get a big score and with the help of the in-form finishers, Peshawar can manage to post yet another competitive total on the board. And only that will give them a good chance of winning against Lahore Qalandars.

Peshawar Zalmi Predicted Playing XI:

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Rovman Powell, Aamer Jamal, Wahab Riaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Arshad Iqbal, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Peshawar Zalmi Actual Playing XI:

Tom Kohler Cadmore, Mohammad Haris, Arshad Iqbal, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan, Rovman Powell, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Aamer Jamal, Wahab Riaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Saim Ayub

Lahore Qalandars Preview

Peshawar’s rising batting form will not be a problem for the Qalandars. They should be keeping an eye out for those key batters in the PSZ but it is no sign of worry for the LHQ juggernaut.

Shaheen Afridi leads a world-class bowling attack in LHQ. One of the best leg-break bowlers in T20 cricket, Rashid Khan is in great touch and will be an asset for Qalandars coming to Rawalpindi.

Haris Rauf and David Wiese add great strength in the pace department while Sikandar Raza is a handy all-rounder who could deliver a breakthrough in key moments of the game. However, LHQ aren’t completely free of worry. Though they are on a winning streak, there are major concerns in the batting department. 

The top-order has collapsed on two back-to-back occasions. Fakhar Zaman will be expected to quickly turn things around and get back to scoring at the top. There are many match-winners in this side. Sikandar Raza is one such player who can make match-winning contributions with both bat and ball. 

The Zimbabwean all-rounder scored an unbeaten 71 off 34 balls at number 7 to take the team to a 148-run total against Quetta. Shafique and Sam Billings are key players in the middle order while Hussain Talat will be in the finisher’s role.

Lahore Qalandars Predicted Playing XI:

Fakhar Zaman, Mirza Tahir Baig, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings (wk), Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan

Lahore Qalandars Actual Playing XI:

Abdullah Shafiq, Sikandar Raza, Fakhar Zaman, Zaman Khan, Hussain Talat, Shawaiz Irfan, Shaheen Afridi, Sam Billings, David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Rashid Khan

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

It seems to be a great batting surface here at the Pindi Club Ground in Rawalpindi. As the match progresses, batting gets easier on this surface and the finishers are likely to have a great outing. It will be a sunny day with a high of 29 degrees Celsius in Rawalpindi.

Venue Details

Pindi Club Ground in Rawalpindi is the venue for this game. It has hosted two PSL matches this season and the average 1st innings score is 199 runs. It will not be easy to assess what is a good enough score for the team batting first here. The teams must eye something over 210 to give themselves a good chance of winning if they bat first.

Toss: To Bat

There haven’t been any T20 international or PSL matches on this ground before this season. The only data available is from the recent games which show there is not much of an advantage for either team. ISU chased down 204 with ease while PSZ defended 197 runs here. LHQ will be comfortable batting first as they’ve been doing so far as they can rely on their bowlers to defend a total. And for PSZ, it may not be a great idea to chase against the Qalandars’ bowling attack.