Quetta Gladiators are handsomely placed on top of the table with seven points. They have only lost one game in the tournament and that was largely due to Sam Billings’ power hitting 78 which gave Islamabad United a much-needed win.
Karachi Kings, on the other hand, are placed on the foot of the table with only four points. They have lost three and won two games so far. With three games left, today’s match is far more crucial for Kings as compared to Gladiators. They need a win today against Gladiators in order to stay in the contention where only two points separate the top four. A win will place them joint second while a loss could hurt their chances of making it to the semi-finals.
Kings started the tournament on a disastrous note where they lost their first three matches and were seemingly on their way to repeat last season’s miserable performance. However, two tight wins they secured in their last two games has changed their fortunes. Their batting unit let them down early on but had a good outing in the previous clash against Peshawar Zalmi. Babar Azam has been a consistent performer for them, but he will have to make a big one again in order for Kings to post a good total. The captain Kumar Sangakkara has also scored some crucial runs for them after a 50 earlier in the tournament. Chris Gayle’s poor form, on the other hand, has the team management worried. They used him at No 3, but that didn’t work either so it will be interesting to see if he goes to the top yet again in this crucial clash. The thing about Gayle is that one brutal innings can drastically change the complexion of an entire game and Kings would be counting on him for that.
Karachi fans were definitely pleased with important cameos from ex-captain Shoaib Malik and Ravi Bopara against Peshawar, but they will also be aware that clicking together as a unit is far important. Mohammad Amir has looked off-colour but Sohail Khan— the leading wicket-taker in the tournament—has took nine wickets and he will be raring to go against a side that has a few issues at the top of the order. Imad Wasim has also shown tremendous consistency by picking up key wickets and keeping the flow of runs in check.
Star batsman Kevin Pietersen finally delivered the goods with a spectacular knock to help his side chase down a massive target above 200. With that being said, Quetta will want more support from their opening batsmen. With Rilee Rossouw and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, their middle order has looked reliable, but if Ahmed Shehzad—who is averaging just 14 so far this season—can also chip in with some more runs, then the result in the previous leg between these two sides is unlikely to change.
Sarfraz and Rossouw were the key Gladiators that night after both of them hit brilliant unbeaten half-centuries to take their side to a win. They were initially pegged back by Sohail—who removed the top order during the powerplay—but Karachi were able to withstand the pressure thanks to the duo of Sarfraz and Rossouw. Quetta will definitely look to get Gayle out early; otherwise, they might have to chasing yet another 200 plus target.
A win for Gladiators will open up a crucial three-point gap for them at the top with one foot in the semis.