KK vs LQ 8th Match Prediction

KK vs LQ Team Previews

Karachi Kings

The Karachi Kings are off to a terrible start this season as they have lost all the 3 matches they have played so far and are at the bottom of the points table. After losing to Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United in the first two matches, the Karachi Kings started their latest fixture against the Quetta Gladiators as the favorites to win.

It was once again a mediocre bowling effort as the Gladiators posted 168-7 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Captain Imad Wasim and Aamer Yamin, who was playing his first match of the season picked up 3 wickets each. The form of the Kings’ top two seamers, Mohammad Amir and Andrew Tye remains a cause of concern for the team.

Imran Tahir too has been quite ineffective so far and went wicketless in this match.

The chase began on shaky ground for Karachi as Sharjeel Khan and Haider Ali departed without disturbing the scorers. Shoaib Malik was once again in prime form as he scored a second half-century in 3 innings but failed to support at the other end. Matthew Wade and Imad Wasim got out cheaply and Karachi never really got going during the middle overs.

Irfan Khan did play a good cameo toward the end but it was too little too late as the Kings fell short of the target by 6 runs. While it is still early in the tournament, Karachi will need to revisit its strategy soon before it becomes too late for them to catch up with the other teams. 

Lahore Qalandars

After a long wait of 6 seasons, the Lahore Qalandars managed to get their hands on the title trophy in the last season and will be hoping to keep it with them at the end of this season too.

It has been almost a week since the Lahore Qalandars played their only game of the season so far, where they defeated the Multan Sultans in a thrilling contest. Asked to bat first, the Lahore Qalandars posted 175-6 in their 20 overs. Fakhar Zaman scored a superb half-century, making 66 runs off just 42 deliveries.

He was well supported by the other top-order batsmen, including Mirza Baig and Shai Hope to build a solid foundation, Hussain Talat's late cameo helped them score some crucial runs toward the end. All-rounders Sikandar Raza and David Weise looked a bit rusty as they weren’t able to score runs quickly. In the second innings, the Qalandars seemed to be heading for a certain defeat as the opening pair from the Sultans put up a 100-run partnership in just 12 overs.

But the pace attack consisting of captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Zaman Khan managed to hold their nerve till the end as they defeated the Sultans by 1 run. The Qalandars will need to work harder on their bowling in this match as the spin department looks especially lacking. Rashid Khan, who is in the squad for this season, will only be available next week after completing his international duties.

In his absence, the team will depend on the likes of Raza to keep a tight leash on the opposition’s batting.