The first match of the Pakistan Super League between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators was played in front of a huge crowd on Thursday at the Dubai International Stadium, where the second match – Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars -- will also be played on Friday.
If the first match was anything to go by, where Luke Wright played a gem of an innings (53-ball 86) to help the Gladiators to victory, the Pakistan Super League is going to be an exciting tournament.
If that innings of Wright was not enough for fans in Dubai, Chris Gayle, who is set to represent Lahore, has the ability to make the crowd go beserk with his big-hitting skills on Friday. In Gayle, Lahore have one of the best players in the T20 format, and if the player gets going in Dubai, Karachi will have a long day.
Apart from Gayle, Dwayne Bravo is expected to add some more Caribbean flair, as the all-rounder was also picked by Lahore during the auction. The Lahore Qalandars also have some good domestic players in their team, which includes Yasir Shah and Umar Akmal.
The Lahore Qalandars are primarily going to depend on Gayle to deliver and help the team go all the way in the first edition of the Pakistan Super League.
Their opponents for Friday, Karachi, might not have mega stars, but they have some well-known names in world cricket. Shoaib Malik, with his experience, is going to be a huge player in the PSL. Ravi Bopara, Shakib Al Hasan and Lendl Simmons are their top foreign imports, while they also possess some quality Pakistan players, who will have to play an important role as the competition progresses.
With Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Amir in the pace department for Karachi, a huge battle is on the cards, when Gayle opens the batting. The seamers will be asked to dislodge the dangerous left-hander early and increase their chances of winning.
Will it be a Gayle show in Dubai on Friday? We will come to know soon.
Teams: Karachi Kings: Shoaib Malik, Shakib Al Hasan, Sohail Tanvir, Imad Wasim, Ravi Bopara, Lendl Simmons, , Nauman Anwar, Sohail Khan, Mir Hamza, Saifullah Bangash Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Amir, Bilawal Bhatti, James Vince, Iftikhar Ahmed Usama Mir, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shahzaib Hasan, Fawad Alam.
Lahore Qalandar: Chris Gayle, Yasir Shah, Sohaib Maqsood, Mustafizur Rahman, Kevon Cooper, Cameron Delport, Zafar Gohar, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Rizwan Zia ul Haq, Naved Yasin, Adnan Rasool Hammad Azam, , Dwayne Bravo, Umar Akmal, Zohaib Khan, Ehsan Adil, Abdul Razzaq, Mukhtar Ahmed, Imran Butt.
Where to watch live
Game 2 Pakistan Super League -- Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings -- is scheduled for 3pm local time (4:30 pm IST, 4 pm PKT, 11am GMT) start. Unfortunately there is no live TV coverage in India.
Viewers in Pakistan can watch the -- Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings live on PTV Sports, Ten Sports and Geo Super with the live streaming online option on PTV Sports Live.
OSN will broadcast the Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings live in UAE, with the match can be live streamed on OSN Play.
UK viewers can watch the Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings on Prime TV with live streaming on Prime TV Online.
Viewers from around the world can also live stream the match on Cricketgateway.
