Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi

Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi will lock horns in the second game of the 2021 Pakistan Super League at National Cricket Stadium in Karachi on Sunday.

Lahore Qalandars have been perennial underachievers in the history of PSL. Last year, they managed to qualify for the playoffs of the competition. Qalandars were comprehensively beaten by Karachi Kings in the finals.

On the other hand, Peshawar Zalmi will be looking to make a serious dash at the title after suffering from inconsistency last year. Captain Wahab Riaz will be hoping that the side can put on a decent show with bat and ball.

Both teams have competed in 11 matches in the history of the Pakistan Super League where Peshawar Zalmi have an upper hand with eight wins compared to Lahore Qalandars’ three victories.

Last season, Lahore Qalandars managed to win two games out of three played against Peshawar Zalmi. 

Lahore Qalandars

Last year’s finalist, Lahore Qalandars, have signed Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan for this year’s competition. He will be coming into this competition after doing exceedingly well for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.

Captain Sohail Akhtar will be looking to lead from the front with the bat. The 34-year old showed excellent form with the bat in the recently T10 League played in the UAE.

Besides Sohail Akthar, the side will be depending on the likes of Fakhar Zaman, Ben Dunk, and Mohammad Hafeez to deliver the bulk of the runs.

England duo of Joe Denly and Tom Abell has been signed by the franchise to strengthen their batting department.

In the bowling department, the new-ball pair of Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf will be looking to make early inroads for Qalandars in this contest. Samit Patel and Rashid Khan will be two spinners for this game.

Peshawar Zalmi

Darren Sammy will head-up a new coaching team and it is hoped that his appointment might turn things around for Peshawar Zalmi this season.

South Africa’s David Miller and Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman are two notable players signed by Peshawar Zalmi for the coming season.

Miller will be a valuable addition to Peshawar Zalmi after he showed excellent form with the bat in the recent T20I series played against Pakistan.

In the batting department, the onus will be on experienced players like Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, and Haider Ali to make notable contributions in this contest.

In the bowling department, the side will be relying heavily on the likes of Wahab Riaz, Umaid Asif, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to provide crucial breakthroughs.

Off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman will also have a big role to play with the ball after his highly-successful stint in the BBL for Brisbane Heat.

 Odds by Casumo

According to the Casumo sportsbook, Lahore Qalandars will be slight favorites to win their game against Peshawar Zalmi. For the second PSL game, Lahore Qalandars are placed at 1.75 odds, while Peshawar Zalmi at 2.05 odds.

Check out our PSL Odds Here

 

Our Tipsters Angle

After analyzing both the squads, Lahore Qalandars seemed to have covered all the bases for this year’s competition.

With the likes of Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk, and Sohail Akhtar having played competitive cricket in the past couple of weeks, Lahore Qalandars will be expected to put on a strong show in their opening fixture.

On the other hand, Peshawar Zalmi will have to bat exceedingly well in order to push Lahore Qalandars close in this game.

Therefore, the prediction is for Lahore Qalandars to notch up a comfortable win over Peshawar Zalmi.

 Tips 1: Mohammad Hafeez to continue his purple patch in PSL

All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has shown remarkable consistency in the T20 format. In the recently concluded T10 League, Hafeez was the standout performer for Maratha Arabians and accumulated 149 runs in 5 innings at an average of 37.25.

Given his outstanding form with the bat, we are backing Mohammad Hafeez to score 30 or more [email protected]

Conclusion

Expect Lahore Qalandars to come out on top in their opening fixture.

1. Mohammad Hafeez to score 30 or more runs-Lahore [email protected]

Check out our PSL Odds Here