Pakistan T20 League 2023

Match 4: KAR vs ISL

Preview 

Karachi (KAR) and Islamabad (ISL) will be crossing swords in the fourth game of the Pakistan T20 League at the National Stadium, Karachi on Thursday (February 16). KAR led by Imad Wasim, came agonisingly close to defeating Babar Azam’s Peshawar in their opening fixture but fell just two runs short despite Imad’s unbeaten 80 and Shoaib Malik’s 52. 

KAR lost four early wickets chasing a monumental target of 200, but a 133 run stand between Malik and Wasim kept the 2020 winners in the hunt. However, they failed to go past the finishing line in a nail biting contest at the National Stadium on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, ISL are set to play their opener and have a potent squad at their disposal. Alex Hales will be brimming with confidence coming into this league on the back of an impressive display at the just concluded ILT20 League. He was the leading run scorer at the International League and will be looking to continue his golden run with bat in hand. Their overseas batting unit comprising Rahmatullah Gurbaz, Colin Munro and Moeen, is a power packed one. 

Shadab Khan is more than handy with bat and his role, along with the ball, will be of paramount importance. Abrar Ahmed, who had a memorable Test Series against the “Three Lions” will look for similar exploits in the opener on Thursday. 

Match Details

Match: KAR vs ISL, 4th Match, Pakistan T20 League, 2023

Date: Thursday, February 16, 2023

Time: 7:30 PM

Venue: National Cricket Stadium, Karachi 

Pitch and Weather Report

The National Stadium pitch is expected to be an absolute belter for batting. Another high scoring contest is in the offing. Chasing after winning the toss could be a winning formula. There is no prospect of rain on matchday. Playing conditions will be enjoyable with the temperature probably to be around the 23 degree Celsius mark. 

KAR vs ISL Squads

KAR: Sharjeel Khan, Matthew Wade (wk), Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Qasim Akram, Ben Cutting, Imad Wasim (c), Andrew Tye, Imran Tahir, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, James Vince, Irfan Khan, James Fuller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Umar, Muhammad Akhlaq, Tayyab Tahir

ISL: Alex Hales, Hasan Ali, Tymal Mills, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Zafar Gohar, Colin Munro, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Paul Stirling, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Azam Khan, Shadab Khan, Gus Atkinson, Mubasir Khan, Moeen Ali, Rumman Raees, Abrar Ahmad, Hassan Nawaz, Tom Curran, Sohaib Maqsood, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Zeeshan Zameer

KAR vs ISL Probable Playing XIs

KAR: Sharjeel Khan, Matthew Wade (wk), Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Qasim Akram, Ben Cutting, Imad Wasim (c), Andrew Tye, Imran Tahir, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir

ISL: Alex Hales, Paul Stirling/Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Colin Munro/Moeen Ali, Shadab Khan (C), Sohaib Maqsood, Asif Ali, Azam Khan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Match Prediction

KAR have a decent batting lineup, but ISL’s batting seems to be formidable and their bowling prowess is also menacing. We predict Shadab Khan and co to win this encounter. 

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