PSL 2024: Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United Preview, Playing 11, Venue, Squad And Other Details

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PSL 2024 is all set to get underway on Saturday (February 17) with two-time defending champions Lahore Qalandars all set to take on fellow title contenders Islamabad United in the opening match of the tournament at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The Shaheen Afridi-led side won the last PSL edition by defeating Multan Sultans in a closely fought final and will start with a clean slate as they head into the PSL 2024 without their star all-rounder Rashid Khan, who opted out due to his ongoing recovery from an injury.

Match Details

PSL 2024 Match 1: Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United (LHQ vs ISU)
Date: Saturday, February 17, 2024
Time:8:00 PM PST
Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Capacity:27,000
Ends: Pavilion End, College End

Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United Match Preview

The first headache for Lahore Qalandars would be to deal with Rashid Khan's absence for the entire PSL 2024 and may turn to youngster Sayed Faridoun and Sikandar Raza to fill in the big shoes.

Apart from that, there's no dearth of talent in other key positions. The steady performances of stars like Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, among others, have been the foundation of the show's success over the past two seasons.

English all-rounder Dan Lawrence, South African batsman Rassie van der Dussen, and bowler Muhammad Imran Junior were among the most recent additions to the team, which was bolstered through the PSL 2024 draft late last year. Later, Bhanuka Rajapaksha of Sri Lanka was also included in the team.

Lahore Qalandars has no shortage of pace bowlers but the team administration wanted to bolster the lineup with the addition of Mohammad Imran Jr.

When it comes to batting, Lahore Qalanadars appear to have everything under control with Fakhar Zaman at the head of the order. Abdullah Shafique, Van van Dussen, Shahibzada Farhan, and Dan Lawrence (partially available) are all expected to fulfil their middle-order positions. Qalandars will once again depend on their two African cricket players, Raza and David Wiese, to do the heavy work in the slog overs.

However, defeating Shadab Khan-led Islamabad United won't be easy. In terms of batting, United appears to have everything covered. The aggressive batting duo of Alex Hales and Colin Munro will open the proceedings, followed by Azam Khan and Shadab Khan. In order to balance their batting lineup for the ninth PSL, United then added some local talent, including as Salman Agha and Qasim Akram.

But this season, United's choices for spin bowlers are limited. They only have two well-known spinners, Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim; all other spinners are part-timers. After suffering an injury, the captain hasn't been able to return to form, and it might take some time for Imad Wasim to get along with the team.

When it comes to fast bowling, Islamabad United has a lot of options this season. The pace attack will be spearheaded by Pakistani quick Naseem Shah, who will be joined by Tymal Mills, Ubaid Shah (an up-and-coming player who took 18 wickets in the U19 World Cup), and Hunain Shah. Obed McCoy, Faheem Ashraf, and Matthew Forde give the bowling lineup even more bench power.

Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United predicted playing 11

LHQ: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Dan Lawrence, Rassie van der Dussen, Kamran Ghulam, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, Syed Faridoun

ISU: Colin Munro, Alex Hales, Jordan Cox, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Qasim Akram, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Matthew Forde, Ubaid Shah

Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United Squad

LHQ: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, David Wiese, Sikandar Raza, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, Mirza Baig, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Imran, Ahsan Bhatti, Dan Lawrence, Jahandad Khan, Syed Faridoun, Shai Hope, Kamran Ghulam, Rassie van der Dussen, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Tayyab Abbas

ISU: Alex Hales, Shahab Khan, Colin Munro, Qasim Akram, Tymal Mills, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Jordan Cox, Imad Wasim, Ubaid Shah, Rumman Raees, Azam Khan, Matthew Forde, Shamul Hussain, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Tom Curran, Hunain Shah