It was against Lahore Qalandars (LQ) that Islamabad United (IU) began their carnage and announced that they are on a serious mission this season. And they have proved it with utmost authority. Nearly halfway through the tournament, Islamabad are still unbeaten, and their form signals that they do not have any plans of swaying one bit from their strategy.
Qalandars, on the other hand, have split their wins and defeats equally. In six games, they have won three and lost as many. But more importantly, Lahore have a habit of turning into a beast at a moment’s notice. In all fairness, the only team this year who can actually give Islamabad a hard time seems to be none other than them. That notion will be further bolstered if they manage to defeat Islamabad at their home venue.
Team Overview:
When it’s not one batter firing for Islamabad, it’s the other wreaking havoc. It was Sahibzada Farhan in one game. Colin Munro in the next. Shadab Khan led his side from the front in one of their matches. And Andries Gous took on this duty in the last game, when none other worked. It gives United the kind of strength difficult to find in other teams. Their bright spots are spread throughout the side, which makes it difficult to target them. Their bowlers have been similarly splendid this season. Jason Holder has two four-wicket hauls in five games played so far, and he isn’t even their only weapon in the bowling attack. Only the worst sort of misfortune can see Islamabad failing to get home in their remaining games, too.
Lahore have a well-stacked batting lineup, but they have yet to reach their peak. In all of their games this year, only Sikandar Raza has been able to hold on to his form, having scored two half-centuries and an unbeaten 40-run knock in the last game. The others, including Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings, and Daryl Mitchell, have been erratic with their contributions to the run tally. Despite having the best pace attack on paper, their fast bowlers have not even broken into the top ten in the leading wicket-taker chart. Rishad Hossain has done reasonably well, but in order to halt Islamabad, Lahore will want their bowlers to be more deadly.
Head-to-Head Record:
Both sides have played 20 matches against each other so far. Out of these, Islamabad have won 11, and Lahore ended up as the better side in nine matches.
Weather and Pitch Report:
The highest total scored in Lahore in this edition is 186, when the home team chased down Multan Sultans’ total. Last night, the entire Multan team went back for just 89 runs. This might make Lahore seem like a venue that has no soft spot for batters. However, Quetta Gladiators, while chasing against Sultans, scored 13.17 runs an over. So, the pitch will have plenty on offer for the batters, and with both sides having a strong batting attack, a high-scoring game is on the cards.
Prediction:
It will take a gargantuan effort from Lahore to outdo Islamabad, but that’s the kind of effort they are not ready to put in just yet.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: A Sports, PTV Sports, Tapmad, Tamasha, Walee Technologies, Myco App, Begin
India: FanCode App, Sony Sports Network
Africa: Super Sports
Sri Lanka and Afghanistan: Sony Sports Network
North America: Willow TV
MENA: MYCO
Rest of the World: Sports Central
