HBL PSL 2021: Lahore Qalandars to take on Peshawar Zalmi today

PSL 2021: Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi - Match Preview, Feb 21

February 21, 2021
Lahore Qalandars to take on Peshawar Zalmi today / Photo: PSL

Fans will gear up for another exciting HBL PSL 2021 clash today as Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi take on each other in the second game of the league on Sunday afternoon at Karachi’s National Stadium.

Qalandars finished runners-up during the previous season while Zalmi has an overall very good track record in the tournament. They are one of only two teams in the PSL that has played the play-offs in each of the five editions so far.

Led by Sohail Akhtar, the Qalandars will enter the field confidently and will try to carry the momentum from the previous edition. However, the team will lack psychological advantage against Zalmi as they have only won three times in the 11 PSL games played between the two sides so far.

The Zalmis were left undecided on choosing a stand-in captain to replace right-arm quick Wahab Riaz, who will miss the team’s first fixture of the tournament after being sent to isolation following an unintentional breach of the bio-secure bubble.

The encounter is likely to be a contest between Lahore’s bowling and Peshawar’s batting. The Qalandars features the world’s top ranked T20 bowler, Rashid Khan, along with pacers such as Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Dilber Hussain. This fiery attack will be pitted against the likes of Kamran Akmal, Haider Ali, Imam ul Haq, Tom Kohler Cadmore and Shoaib Malik.

For Qalandars’ batsmen, a good start against the Wahab-less Zalmi will be important. While Fakhar Zaman’s dip in form will be a cause of worry for the team, Mohammad Hafeez’s stellar form will give captain Akhtar some confidence. The Qalandars’ management is also hopeful that Ben Dunk will continue with his form for the side.

Players to watch out for:

Rashid Khan – Lahore Qalandars

Kamran Akmal – Peshawar Zalmi

Match start timing: 2:00pm

SQUADS:

Lahore Qalandars: Ben Dunk, David Wiese, Dilbar Hussain, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Akhtar, Rashid Khan, Joe Denly, Samit Patel, Tom Abell, Zeeshan Ashraf, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Faizan, Maaz Khan, Zaid Alam, Ahmed Danyal

Peshawar Zalmi: Wahab Riaz, Abrar Ahmed, Kamran Akmal, Haider Ali, Umaid Asif, Ravi Bopara, Amad Butt, Iman-ul-Haq, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Amir Khan, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Saqib Mahmood, Shoaib Malik, David Miller, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sherfane Rutherford

Read: Karachi Kings beat Quetta Gladiators by 7 wickets in tournament opener

Faizan Lakhani is Deputy Editor (Sports) at Geo News.

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