Who will win Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars PSL 2017, 18th Match?
The 18th fixture of the ongoing Pakistan Super League 2017 will see Karachi Kings clash with Lahore Qalandars for the second time in the season. Karachi and Lahore are due to play Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi before facing each other in this match to be played on February 25 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Live action will begin at 3:30 PM local time.
Karachi vs Lahore: Where to watch/Live streaming
TV channels: PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Geo Super
Live streaming: Bet365, Ten Sports
Toss Prediction
The team that has batted second at Dubai have won five of the last six matches including the previous four. Since the wicket has been seen to ease up later on in a game, the toss-winning team may not hesitate in electing to bat second. Lahore Qalandars have been lucky with the toss two times in their last three matches at this ground. So we predict them to win the toss on Saturday.
Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds and match prediction for Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars PSL 2017....
Karachi Kings Team News & Playing 11
Team News
Karachi Kings appear to be free from injury scares at the moment and the selectors will be happy to retain the side that won the last two matches.
Key Players
With Chris Gayle struggling to get some runs under his belt, the onus will be on Babar Azam, Kumar Sangakkara and Shoaib Malik to deliver the goods with the bat for Karachi Kings. Azam and Malik have been the most consistent in their batting lineup and it will be crucial for the team that they click. Mohammad Amir has been a bit off colour this season and so the Kings will look to Sohail Khan and Imad Wasim to do the job with the ball. Sohail is the leading wicket-taker of the PSL 2017 with 9 wickets and we predict him to be the top bowler for his side.
Recent Form
Karachi Kings have a lot of catching up to do with the rest of the teams as they are lying at the bottom of the table with four points from five matches. After having started off the season on a disastrous note with defeats in their first three games, the Kings are crawling their way back into the competition with back-to-back wins.
Karachi Kings Predicted Playing 11
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Babar Azam, KC Sangakkara (c/wk), CH Gayle, Shoaib Malik, RS Bopara, KA Pollard, Imad Wasim, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Amir, Usama Mir, Usman Khan.
Lahore Qalandars Team News & Playing 11
Team News
Lahore Qalandars have no suspensions or injuries to deal with and they are unlikely to make any major changes to their lineup for this upcoming match.
Key Players
Lahore Qalandars will have huge expectations from Umar Akmal and Fakhar Zaman when it comes to batting. Zaman scored a fifty in the reverse fixture while Akmal is the highest run-getter in the Pakistan Super League. Akmal smashed 66 runs in his last innings and we predict him to contribute heavily in this match. Sohail Tanvir and Sunil Narine have been the pick of the bowlers. Both took two wickets each in the reverse fixture and Lahore will back them for another solid performance in their second meeting with Karachi.
Recent Form
Lahore Qalandars are doing better than what they did last season where they finished at the bottom of the pool. This year, they have won three and lost as many from six matches so far to be placed second in the standings. Lahore’s bowlers did well to edge out Islamabad United in the last game.
Lahore Qalandars Predicted Playing 11
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CS Delport, BB McCullum (c), Fakhar Zaman, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Irfan, GD Elliott, SP Narine, Sohail Tanvir, Aamer Yamin, Yasir Shah.
Team Form in Last Five Matches (most recent first)
Karachi Kings: W W L L L
Lahore Qalandars: W L W L W
Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars Head to Head
Karachi Kings have faced Lahore Qalandars three times in the PSL and have emerged victorious on the two first occasions. One of these wins was secured at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The two teams came face-to-face earlier in the 8th match of the ongoing season where Lahore pipped Karachi by seven runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars Prediction
Both Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars have fared poorly at Dubai. While the former have lost six of their seven matches here, the latter have lost two from their eight. A look at their recent performance shows that Lahore have done slightly better, winning three of their last five games as compared to Karachi's two. However, Karachi will gain confidence from having beaten Lahore two times out of three which includes a win at this ground. But having said that, they have not really been up to the mark this season and have failed to perform collectively as a unit.
Chris Gayle's poor form is certainly the biggest concern for the Kings as his highest score in five games has just been 11. Furthermore, Mohammad Amir has not been able to live up to the team's expectations, putting additional pressure on Imad Wasim and Sohail Khan. Lahore Qalandars emerged stronger when the two teams met last time and we predict them to come out on top once again.
Final Verdict: Back Lahore Qalandars to beat Karachi Kings in the 18th match of PSL 2017.
Feb 25, 2017
17:00 IST / 11:30 GMT
Dubai Cricket Stadium - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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