LAHORE, MARCH 04 (DNA) : The Lahore Qalandars, fresh off a heady victory against the Quetta Gladiators, go up against the floundering Islamabad United in today’s match at Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium.
The last time the Qalandars and United met in the tournament on February 23, Islamabad narrowly avoided a defeat thanks to skipper Shadab Khan, who chipped in both with bat and ball to win the game by one wicket.
For Islamabad, wicket-keeper batsman Luke Ronchi will be in the spotlight after he notched up another unforgettable 85 not out. Ronchi so far has 194 runs from five matches at an average of close to 50 and a strike rate of 155+. Not to be left behind is Shadab, who has scored 153 from 4 innings, with a best of 54*.
Among the bowlers, Faheem Ashraf has been the pick of the pack, with seven wickets from five matches.
The Qalandars, on the other hand, will look to veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, the top scorer for Lahore with 113 runs and a strike rate of close to 140. Chris Lynn has also scored 80 so far, with a best of 39.
In the bowling department, their hopes will be pinned on pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has six wickets from three games, including a best of 4-18.
The match between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United will begin at 7pm.
Squads
Lahore Qalandars: Sohail Akhtar (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Shah Afridi, David Wiese, Usman Shinwari, Haris Rauf, Salman Butt, Chris Lynn, Samit Patel, Seekkuge Prasanna, Ben Dunk, Farzan Raja, Jaahid Ali, Muhammad Faizan, Dane Vilas, Dilbar Hussain
Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (captain), Faheem Ashraf, Asif Ali, Luke Ronchi, Hussain Talat, Amad Butt, Musa Khan, Dale Steyn, Colin Ingram, Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Rizwan Hussain, Phil Salt, Zafar Gohar, Akif Javed, Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Saif Badar, Dawid Malan
