On Sunday, there will be two matches in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in its ninth season. Multan Sultans will host the Karachi Kings in a night match at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
So far, the two teams have faced each other 11 times, with Karachi Kings winning 6 matches and Multan Sultans securing 5 victories.
Multan Sultans have been consistent in recent PSL seasons, reaching the finals in the last three campaigns. With wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan at the helm, they want to continue their stellar record in the next campaign. Together with international stars Dawid Malan and Reeza Hendricks, the team also features strong local players Yasir Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Khushdil Shah. However, the absence of a quality all-rounder in the middle order is a challenge.
In the bowling department, key seamers Ihsanullah and Reece Topley are sidelined due to injuries. Chris Jordan and Shahnawaz Dahani are expected to lead the new-ball attack, while Usama Mir and Faisal Akram will handle spin duties.
On the other hand, Karachi Kings, who finished in the bottom two in the last two seasons, are aiming for an improved performance. They have strengthened their middle order with all-rounders Kieron Pollard and Daniel Sams. The squad benefits from the invaluable experience of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Nawaz. The opening pair is likely to be Shan Masood and James Vince.
The absence of Jamie Overton due to injuries poses a challenge for Karachi Kings’ pace attack, but the spin department looks strong with Tabraiz Shamsi and Arafat Minhas.
Regarding the pitch at Multan Cricket Stadium, it heavily favors batters, and a total above 180 runs is considered competitive. Bowling first is recommended due to potential dew in the second innings.
The probable playing XIs for the match are as follows:
Multan Sultans: Reeza Hendricks, Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Dawid Malan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Tayyab Tahir, David Willey, Chris Jordan, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani
Karachi Kings: Shan Masood (c), James Vince, Mohammad Akhlaq, Shoaib Malik, Irfan Niazi, Mohammad Nawaz, Daniel Sams, Hasan Ali, Blessing Muzarabani, Mir Hamza, Tabraiz Shamsi
In terms of prediction, Multan Sultans seem stronger than Karachi Kings, especially with the home crowd advantage, giving them the upper hand in the upcoming match.
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