Pakistan Super League 2020, Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi | Preview, predicted XIs, where and when to watch and live stream details
The second match of the 2020 edition of the Pakistan Super League is scheduled to be played between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi. The two teams have faced each other ten times over the past four seasons with Peshawar Zalmi having a lead over their opponents in head to head records.
Zalmi have won eight out of the 10 matches while Karachi Kings have only won two matches against the former PSL Champions. Zalmi finished as the runners-up of the PSL 4 after they lost to the Quetta Gladiators by 8 wickets in the final in Karachi.
Peshawar Zalmi have the most balanced squad in the PSL since the first edition. Darren Sammy has been the most valuable player for the franchise, and he will be leading the Men in Yellow once again during this season.
Kamran Akmal has proven to be the best batsman for the franchise as he has amassed 1286 in 47 matches for the Zalmis along with an unbeaten century, making him the highest run-scorer in the history of the tournament. Sammy himself has scored 647 runs for his team at a healthy average nearing 30.
Also see – IPL Players List
Zalmi’s batting runs deep, and Wahab Riaz then leads the bowling attack with a record of 65 wickets in 44 matches, followed closely by Hasan Ali of the Zalmi with 51 wickets in 36 matches.
Since most of the Zalmi players occupy most of the top spots on the record charts, it’s always a tall task to defeat the 2017 Champions.
Karachi Kings is the second most expensive franchise in the league and the side has gone through a lot of changes to stand where it is today. Currently led by all-rounder Imad Wasim, the team has gone through a series of changes right from the first edition.
The team has never made it to the final two of the tournament even after making it to the playoffs in each of the last four editions.
With the bat, Babar Azam has been phenomenal for the team and has 1028 runs to his name in just 33 matches with an average close to 35. The addition of Alex Hales to the team along with the return of Sharjeel Khan will provide the team with a chance to get off to a quick start with Imad Wasim and Mohammad Rizwan coming in late to take charge.
The bowling department of the team is in the dependable hands of Mohammad Amir, who is not only a wicket-taking bowler but he is also very economical. Along with Chris Jordan and Mitchell McClenaghan, we could see the pacers lead from the front.
However, all eyes will be on spinners Wasim and Umer Khan who could get much more out of the pitch during the day as compared to the seamers.
This match will surely be a cracker and the pressure will be on the home side to make an impact in the first match and get off to a good start in the tournament.
Match details
Tournament: Pakistan Super League Season 5, 2020
Venue: National Stadium, Karachi
Date: 21st February 2020
Time: 3.00 PM PST onwards
Pitch report
Karachi Kings will be playing this match on their home ground and we expect this to be a jampacked affair even on a weekday. The first match of the tournament saw bowlers get a lot of seam and swing late in the evening but that might not be the case early on in the day. Wrist spinners will prove to be handy in this clash.
Predicted XIs
Karachi Kings: Alex Hales, Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Cameron Delport, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim (C), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mitchell McClenaghan, Chris Jordan, Umer Khan, Mohammad Amir.
Peshawar Zalmi: Kamran Akmal (wk), Liam Livingstone, Liam Dawson, Umar Amin, Shoaib Malik, Darren Sammy (C), Carlos Brathwaite, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Aamir Ali, and Rahat Ali.
Where to watch the matches in Pakistan?
Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi will be telecast LIVE on PTV Sports.
Live stream details
The live stream for Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi will be available on Cricingiff and Cricketgateway.