In the 19th fixture of the Pakistan Super League, Karachi Kings will host Multan Sultans on Sunday at the National Stadium Karachi. Both teams have met on 12 occasions in the past and they both carry an equal number of wins. This makes the rivalry between the two teams more intense.
Karachi Kings are not having a positive season this year. They are currently at the 6th spot in the point table with 2 wins and a net run rate of -0.460.
Multan Sultans have been the table toppers since the start of the league. They have won 5 fixtures and have maintained their net run rate at +1.154.
Hendricks is the leading scorer for Sultans with 286 runs in 6 matches at an average of 57.20.
The betting tip is...
Reeza Hendricks will score above 40.5 runs.
Karachi Kings witnessed a loss in their previous fixture against Quetta Gladiators. It was a thrilling fixture where the Kings took the game to the last ball but were unlucky in the end.
In the top order, James Vince gave momentum to the team by scoring 37 off 25 at a strike rate of 148. In the middle order, only Mohammad Nawaz was able to continue the momentum and score 28 off 19 at 147.37.
The bowling unit received a slow start with the new ball. They were unable to pick early wickets but the middle overs were comparatively fruitful. Hasan Ali and Zahid Mahmood picked up 2 wickets each at an economy of 9.75 & 4.25. Shoaib Malik also contributed with a single wicket.
The middle order of the Kings is vulnerable and hence Shoaib Malik and Kieron Pollard need to score a big number.
Predicted Lineup: Mohammad Nawaz, Tim Seifert, Shan Masood, Irfan Khan, Hasan Ali, Anwar Ali, James Vince, Kieron Pollard, Shoaib Malik, Blessing Muzarabani, Zahid Mahmood
Multan Sultans witnessed their first loss of the league against Peshawar Zalmi but immediately bounced back and scored two consecutive wins. They scored a dominating win against Lahore Qalandars in their previous match.
Reeza Hendricks (40 off 27), Tayyab Tahir (21 off 14), and Iftikhar Ahmed (40 off 18) were the contributors to the overall score. However, the innings of Usman Khan made headlines as he scored 96 off 55 at a strike rate of 174.55.
The bowling unit was not at all under pressure because of the brilliant performance of the batters. Usama Mir picked up 6 wickets in 4 overs but his overall economy was 10. Faisal Akram scalped 2 wickets at an economy of 6.25.
Reeza Hendricks, Usama Mir, and Usman Khan are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Reeza Hendricks, Khushdil Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Faisal Akram, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usama Mir, Aftab Ibrahim
The Karachi Kings are struggling with inconsistency this season. Their middle order has failed to perform and the bowlers have showcased a higher economy.
Multan Sultans are a dominating force in the league who are performing as a complete package. They have a strong batting lineup and an equally strong bowling unit. We predict a win for Multan Sultans on Sunday.