Lahore Qalandars add Ryan Burl to squad, meet Hyderabad Kingsmen in PSL 11 opener tonight

LAHORE (Web Desk) – The 11th edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) will begin today with defending champions Lahore Qalandars taking on the newly included Hyderabad Kingsmen in the opening match at 7 p.m. at the Gaddafi Stadium here.

Lahore Qalandars have finalized their squad for the PSL 11 by including Zimbabwean all-rounder Ryan Burl.

Burl, a left-handed batsman and a capable leg-spinner, added depth to the team’s lineup.

Due to regional tensions and government decisions aimed at preventing energy shortages, fans will not be allowed to attend the matches in the stadium.

THE CLASH

In the last year's final, they beat Quetta Gladiators by six wickets. Sikandar Raza emerged as the hero for Lahore in the match. The top run scorer for Lahore in the last edition of the PSL was Fakhar Zaman with 439 runs to his name. Skipper Shaheen Afridi was the top wicket taker with 19 scalps under his belt.

Lahore Qalandars are the strongest of all sides taking part in the competition. They have match winners like Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman and Sikandar Raza in their squad.

Hyderabad Kingsmen, on the other hand, are the new addition to the Pakistan Super League. They have plenty of match winner including Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Maaz Sadaqat and Mohammad Nawaz. Saim Ayub and Usman Khan shone bright in the recently concluded Pakistan National T20 Cup.

Hyderabad Kingsmen are a strong side and they are expected to pose a tough challenge to its opposition teams in the competition.

THE STATS

Of the 44 matches this season, 22 each will be held at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore and National Bank Stadium, Karachi. The night matches will begin at 7 p.m., while the day match in 12 double headers will start at 2.30 p.m.

For the first time in the history of the PSL, a separate reward has been set for the franchises with the winning franchise getting $500,000, runners up will get $300,000, while the franchise with the best player development efforts will bag $200,000. The tournament winning prize for players will comprise of $500,000.

Rawalpindiz and Hyderabad Kingsmen are set to make their debut in the PSL as the league enters new era after historic team auctions in January and February earlier this year.

Babar Azam, the only player so far to feature in 100 matches in the league, is the leading run-scorer with 3,792 runs, followed by Fakhar Zaman with 2,964, Mohammad Rizwan with 2,770, Shoaib Malik 2,350 and Rilee Rossouw 2,287.

On the bowling front, Hasan Ali (125), Shaheen Afridi (122), Wahab Riaz (113) and Shadab Khan (105) are the only four bowlers with the 100 or more wickets in the history of the tournament.

Among the teams, Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars have won the tournament thrice each, while Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings have won the title once each.

TEAMS

Hyderabad Kingsmen: Saim Ayub, Sharjeel Khan, Maaz Sadaqat, Usman Khan(w), Marnus Labuschagne(c), Shayan Jahangir, Hammad Azam, Kusal Perera, Syed Saad Ali, Hassan Khan, Riley Meredith, Irfan Khan, Akif Javed, Rizwan Mehmood, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Hunain Shah, Asif Mehmood

Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Naeem, Abdullah Shafique, Parvez Hossain Emon(w), Sikandar Raza, Asif Ali, Shaheen Afridi(c), Haris Rauf, Mustafizur Rahman, Usama Mir, Gudakesh Motie, Hussain Talat, Dunith Wellalage, Rubin Hermann, Haseebullah Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Farooq