Preview of Multan Sultan Vs Lahore Qalandars

The eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League T20 cricket tournament is set to begin, with defending champions Lahore Qalandars facing off against the sixth-edition winners Multan Sultans. The opening match will take place at Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday. 

This match will be a rematch of the Season 7 finale, as these two Punjab-based teams made it to the end of the tournament. Multan Sultans will be led by Mohammad Rizwan, who recently played a crucial role in Comilla Victorians' playoff qualification in the Bangladesh Premier League. Lahore Qalandars, on the other hand, will begin their title defense with the aim of becoming the first team to successfully defend their title.

Multan Sultans will be missing Rilee Rossouw and Joshua Little due to their participation in the SA20 finals with Pretoria Capitals, but the in-form batter Usman Khan is expected to fill in. The middle order will be stacked with top names like David Miller, Kieron Pollard, and Tim David. Lahore Qalandars' Shaheen Afridi has been practicing and is expected to be available for the opening game. Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique will open for Lahore, while Sam Billings and Kamran Ghulam will strengthen the middle order. However, star Afghan signing Rashid Khan will be unavailable for Lahore's first three fixtures.

Both teams have a history of fierce rivalry, with Multan currently leading the head-to-head battle 7 wins to 6. The last time these two teams faced each other was in the 2022 PSL finals, which was won by Lahore. This will be the first time that the Sultans will host the Qalandars at their home ground.

Key players to watch include Mohammad Rizwan, who has been in great form with his recent performance in the Bangladesh Premier League, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who will be making his return to competitive cricket after a six-month break. The match is expected to be a thrilling encounter and a true display of the best of Pakistani cricket.