The forthcoming clash of Pakistan Super League Season 8 is between the table-toppers Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings who are the most underperforming franchise of the current edition. Multan Cricket Ground will be the hosting venue of this anticipating Match No. 11 between two high-profile PSL combatants this Wednesday.
Multan has found the winning combination that gaffer Andy Flower and the team management will be looking forward to sustaining further. In the absence of talisman pacer Shahnawaz Dahani, the two emerging stars Ihsanullah and Abbas Afridi are boldly leading the Southern pace attack. Mohammad Ilyas who replaced Sameen Gul in the Sultans’ lineup is likely to keep his place after his recent impressive performance against Islamabad.
To the distress of Karachi fans, the Kings will be gracing the battlefield without the services of their trump card Mohammad Amir. The ‘Swing King’ has picked a groin injury which has made him unavailable for this clash as he will have to complete his rehabilitation. Amir’s place is likely to be taken by the youngster Muhammad Musa who was dropped from the playing eleven after the United game.
What have they done so far?
Multan did not have a great start to the 2023 PSL campaign as they lost the Punjab Derby game by a 1-run deficit on the opening day of the season. However, the Janoobis led by Mohammad Rizwan staged a quick turnaround and went on to register a hat-trick of wins in the following three fixtures. The Punjab-based outfit claimed the crown of table-toppers after handing a thumping 52-run defeat to the two-time champions Islamabad United on Sunday.
After suffering three consecutive losing outcomes to kick-start their campaign, the Blue and Reds finally tasted the first victory of the season over Lahore Qalandars. The Sindh-based franchise has lost the most number of matches (3) this season and somehow managed to open their win account. Karachi successfully defended their first-inning total of 185 runs by enforcing an all-out on the defending champions at 118 inside 18 overs.
Head to Head record
Throwback to the prowess of Mohammad Amir in super over triumph for the Kings
Sultans have been ruling the Pakistan top-flight league since their induction however, Karachi stands as the only PSL franchise against whom they do not have a positive head-to-head record.
The current head-to-head count of this rivalry favors the slightest edge to the Kings on a scoreline of 5-4 in 11 encounters. We have also witnessed a tie outcome during their face-off which was followed by a super over where the Blue and Reds conquered the thrilling contest.
These two combatants were also up against each other when the previous PSL edition commenced as they shared the same battlefield on the opening day. It took place at the National Stadium of Karachi where the contemporaneous defending champions Multan kick-started their title-defense campaign with a convincing seven-wicket win. In the most recent chapter of this rivalry, the eventual runners-up completed a double over the Kings after yet another seven-wicket triumph.
Key Players
Akif Javed: The left-arm pacer barged into the Kings squad as a replacement for injured Mir Hamza in the previous week and made headlines a few days later.
Javed turned his maiden appearance for the new franchise into a memorable one after registering magical bowling figures of 4 for 28 on debut. The 22-year-old picked two wickets in the 13th over of the innings and then fetched two more to dismantle the Qalandars side in no time.
Ihsanullah: Another young speedster who is putting up a strong contention to become the fast-bowling find of the season. Ihsanullah is currently leading the wicket-taking charts of PSL 8 having bagged a whopping tally of 12 wickets from just four appearances.
Ihsanullah has the possession of prestigious Fazal Mahmood Cap
The 20-year-old has become the prime bowler in the Multan pace battery and will be leading them against an experienced opposition batting unit.
Predicted Playing XI
Multan Sultans: Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan ©, Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Kieron Pollard, Khushdil Shah, Carlos Brathwaite, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah, Mohammad Ilyas
Karachi Kings: James Vince, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Irfan Khan, Matthew Wade, Imad Wasim ©, Ben Cutting, Akif Javed, Muhammad Musa, Imran Tahir, Aamer Yamin
Prediction
The key aspects of prediction, current form and on-paper strength clearly favor the Multan Sultans side to emerge victorious from this contest. However, the Kings can’t be ruled out of the winning equation so easily, especially after recently hunting down the defending champions.
The Janoobis undoubtedly have one of the best batting units in the league while the Karachi bowling attack has already proved its capabilities to stun the heavyweights.