It is the battle between the top side vs the bottom side in the ongoing Pakistan Super League 2023. With four victories out of five games, the Lahore Qalandars have been dominating in the league so far whereas Quetta Gladiators have just won a single battle out of their five encounters.
The first match between the two sides was a one-sided affair with the Qalandars winning the clash by 63 runs. After batting first, Shaheen Afridi & Co. posted a good total of 198 on the board. In reply, the Gladiators were restricted to 135 runs in their 20 overs.
Contributions from the top six batters helped Lahore win the game whereas Shaheen Afridi and David Wiese picked up three wickets each. The regular ordinary performance from Quetta has placed them in the last spot. It is not the end of the road for them but they need to start fresh from here to reach the playoffs stage.
Let’s take a look at the preview and prediction of this battle:
What have they done so far?
Lahore Qalandars have been stupendous in the league to date with four victories out of five matches. The only loss they suffered was against Karachi Kings in their second battle, or else all their games have been clearly dominated by them.
Shaheen Afridi & Co. thrashed Islamabad United in the previous game by 110 runs to reach the top of the table. The batsmen have been terrific in almost every game for them. The collective contributions from Sikandar Raza, Sam Billings and Abdullah Shafique made the game against the United a one-sided win.
Shaheen Afridi is proving to be a nightmare for batsmen in PSL 2023
Skipper Afridi has been phenomenal so far for his side with 10 wickets at an average of just 15. He is leading the side really well and would like to continue till the end. In the batting department, Fakhar Zaman has been outstanding in the tournament with 235 runs in five games. His average of 47 and the strike rate of over 170 speaks everything about his current form.
On the other hand, Quetta Gladiators have been going through a rough patch so far with just a single victory out of five matches. They need to come back stronger if they are willing to reach the knockout stage. Sarfaraz Ahmed has to work on different strategies to pull his team out of this bad phase.
Head to Head Record
The head-to-head record might surprise you as Quetta Gladiators have won 7 battles out of 15 against Lahore Qalandars whereas the latter has won 8 games.
So, it’s almost equal when it comes to the past record and Quetta has a great chance to level the numbers in the upcoming battle. With some big names in the squad, Sarfaraz & army has all the capability to defeat Lahore at this point.
Key Players
Fakhar Zaman: With the kind of form he is in, Fakhar Zaman can single-handedly do it for his team against Quetta Gladiators. He has smashed more sixes than fours in this league so far which is a surprising stat for an opener who is a southpaw.
Fakhar Zaman has been terrific for Lahore Qalandars this season
Fakhar would like to keep his nerves calm in the beginning against a bowling attack of Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain and when settled, would surely like to fire from one end. If he could play a thrashing knock at the top of the order, then there are more chances that Lahore would grab this contest.
Jason Roy: We all have witnessed the quality of Jason Roy when he bats and he is unstoppable when going after the bowlers. This is the quality Quetta needs in this clash if they want to win this encounter. Roy has been ordinary in this league to date but he is an asset for the squad who can anytime turn the game in their favour.
With a lack of confidence, the Gladiators might have to double their effort in this match, however, a great knock for Jason Roy can ease things for the team to a greater extent.
Predicted XIs
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Mirza Tahir Baig, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings, Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi ©, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
Quetta Gladiators: Jason Roy, Martin Guptill, Will Smeed, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed ©, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Odean Smith, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Aimal Khan
Prediction
Lahore Qalandars have been top-notch in the season so far and for them, this battle is not going to be tough if they play similarly. On the other hand, Quetta Gladiators have some prominent names in the squad and they would be hoping for a good show. They can’t afford to lose from here as a defeat from here can make the situation tight for them going forward.
Both squads are well-settled if we compare, however, the chances of Lahore Qalandars are quite high due to their high confidence. With Shaheen in top form and Fakhar thrashing bowlers, Lahore will be the favorites to win the game.