Sports Desk
The fight for the title started in February but the champion will be decided tomorrow. Yes, it has been a long wait for cricket avid fans due to the pandemic but they have the treat to watch at National Stadium, Karachi.
The match will undisputedly be the biggest in PSL history as two of the biggest cities, having the biggest fanbases and cultural rivalry will lock horns for a chance to lift the prestigious trophy for the first time.
Before the start of the tournament, no one was hoping that Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars will face each other in the end.
Mainly Qalandars, who lost their first three matches and the fans were again wondering if they would again finish last just like the previous four seasons.
On the other hand, Kings’ journey has been a roller-coaster ride till the final bowl of their qualifier against Multan Sultans.
If you dig into the way both teams won matches, there is a huge difference. Kings have been consistent collectively while Qalandars relied on individual brilliance.
Kings had a stigma on not going through as they qualified every time for the playoffs in the last four seasons but couldn’t reach the final, however, on the other hand, Qalandars finished at the last and couldn’t taste the flavor of knockouts.
That’s all past and both these teams have played a good amount of cricket to reach this stage. Kings claiming a win against Sultans in a super-over thriller while Qalandars outclassing both Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans in Eliminators.
The rest of the tournament is over. Both teams begin anew, knowing they only need 40 good overs. And maybe a Super Over.
In the news
Qalandars skipper Sohail Akhtar has been completely out of the form of late. His batting position is also questionable, viewing Mohammad Hafeez and Ben Dunk are coming to bat after him. Sohail is upbeat that a good performance is just around the corner.
On the other hand, Sharjeel Khan isn’t quite batting as per his standards. He has only managed to score 43 runs in the last six T20 inning but skipper Imad Wasim is confident that if Sharjeel plays six overs, the complexion of the game will be changed completely.
Previous meetings
In the group stage, the equation is 50/50 as Qalandars beat Kings by eight wickets in Lahore while Kings claimed a one-sided 10-wicket win in Karachi.
Qalandars cruised at Gaddafi stadium courtesy of Dunk’s power show of unbeaten 99, hitting 12 sixes, most by any batsman in a single PSL inning.
