Lahore Qalandars vs Hyderabad Kingsmen: Shaheen choose to bat first in PSL 11th opener

The Pakistan Super League opener saw the Lahore Qalandars choose to bat first after winning the toss in the first clash of the PSL against Hyderabad Kingsmen.

The 11th season of the PSL kicked off at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday, with the edition expanded to eight teams and played across Lahore and Karachi.

For the first time, the tournament features eight franchises, with Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi joining. At the same time, Multan Sultans come under new administration after initially being announced as Sialkot Stallions.

The Qalandars, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, enter PSL 11 with momentum, having won three of the last four titles. Their pace attack featuring Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mustafizur Rahman remains their greatest strength.

With Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman anchoring the batting, and Sikandar Raza providing all-round brilliance, they look well-equipped to defend their crown.

The American-Pakistani businessperson Fawad Sarwar owned Kingsmen make their debut with a star-studded line-up.

The Australia-origin Captain Marnus Labuschagne, joined by Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Kusal Perera and record signing Saim Ayub, is determined to provide the opposition a tough time today.

The Labuschagne’s batting unit is in form, but their pace attack appears thin as Ottneil Baartman has withdrawn from the squad. Meredith will be playing as the sole overseas specialist fast bowler.

Weather conditions are clear, as there is no alert being issued by the forecasts, with temperatures between 20°C and 28°C, ensuring ideal playing conditions.

What remains, fans believe, to be heart-wrenching is the PSL games in an empty stadium, as the PCB has decided to follow the SOPs amid the unforeseeable situation currently progressing in the region.

For the unversed, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revised its logistical plans, confining all matches to Karachi and Lahore behind closed doors under government austerity measures.