Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United Match Preview- PSL 2024, Match 1

PSL 2024 is set to commence on Saturday, February 17. Defending champions Lahore Qalandars will clash with Islamabad United in the opening match. While Lahore Qalandars is led by bowling stalwart Shaheen Afridi, Islamabad United is led by star all-rounder Shabad Khan.

Date and Venue

Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United, match 1 of PSL 2024, takes place on Saturday, February 17. The venue of the encounter is Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The match begins at 8 PM IST.

Team Analysis- Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United Match Preview- PSL 2024, Match 1

Lahore Qalandars

Lahore Qalandars have a powerful batting and bowling setup. Batters like Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique are part of the Pakistan national team and have a lot of experience. However, the absence of England batter Daniel Lawrence is expected to affect Lahore’s might in the first clash of PSL 2024. Bhanuka Rajapaksa will be another crucial member in batting.

Similarly, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf are strong set to pacers for the team, who also play in the national side. However, Rashid Khan’s absence will limit their spin attack. Spin all-rounders like Sikandar Raza, Mirza Baig, and Kamran Ghulam will need to pull up their socks in a spin.

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Islamabad United

Islamabad United comprises hard-hitting overseas batters like Alex Hales and Colin Munro. However, both of them have retired from international cricket and their form will play a crucial role. Haider Ali is another crucial addition to the batting department.

Islamabad has a fabulous combination of all-rounders with the likes of skipper Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, and Agha Salman. Notably, three of them also play for the Pakistan national team. Among pacers, Naseem Shah will make a comeback to PSL 2024. Obed McCoy is another powerful pacer to watch out for.

Key Battles

Alex Hales vs Shaheen Afridi

Alex Hales vs Shaheen Shah Afridi will be a thrilling battle to watch out for during the Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United encounter of PSL 2024. Hales will open the batting and following his hard-hitting batting approach, he will eye to smash bowlers out of the park. Afridi will have to stop him with his lethal pace attack.

Fakhar Zaman vs Naseem Shah

Similarly, Fakhar Zaman will look to smack Islamabad United bowlers all over the ground. Naseem Shah, who is the most crucial pacer for Islamabad, will aim to outplay him. It will be another interesting battle to look out for.

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Key Players

For Lahore Qalandars, Fakhar Zaman, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, and Abdullah Shafique are key batters. All-rounders David Wiese and Sikandar Raza will strengthen both batting and bowling.  Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf are the most lethal bowlers for the team.

Alex Hales will be a batter to look out for in the Islamabad United team. Colin Munro is another batter who poses a danger to the opposition in batting. Islamabad have some incredible all-rounders like Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, and Faheem Ashraf. Naseem Shah, Tymal Mills, and Oded Mccoy form a superb pace attack.

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Weather and Pitch

The pitch at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is considered good for batting. The stadium witnessed many games where teams posted mammoth totals last season. The flat surface allows batters to smash runs. Spinners get assistance as the match progresses. The Pacers need to pull up their socks to get success at the stadium.

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Conclusion

The Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United match of PSL 2024 will be an entertaining one as it is the first encounter of PSL 2024. Pakistan crowds will show a lot of support for the opening game. Lahore Qalandars are highly likely to dominate Islamabad United with the home advantage. The team batting first will get a little more advantage over the chasing team.