KARACHI: Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and elected to bat first against RawalPindiz in the 27th match of Pakistan Super League season 11, being played Saturday at the National Bank Stadium.
A first meeting
The encounter marks a historic occasion, as the two franchises are meeting for the very first time in PSL history. The fresh matchup has generated considerable interest among fans and cricket analysts, with no prior head-to-head record to offer any statistical advantage to either side.
𝐋𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐐𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐭.#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #LQvRP pic.twitter.com/GPyqrOjrfm
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) April 18, 2026
Desperate teams seek redemption
Both sides enter the contest in desperate need of a victory to revive their flagging campaigns, occupying the lowest positions on the points table.
The three-time champions, under Afridi’s leadership, find themselves languishing in seventh place with just two wins from six outings. The Qalandars are currently enduring a difficult run of three consecutive losses and will be eager to halt their slide. A victory would see them leapfrog Karachi Kings in the standings.
RawalPindiz, captained by Mohammad Rizwan, face an even more dire situation. The franchise has suffered six straight defeats and remains winless in the tournament. Only a mathematical miracle can keep their playoff hopes alive, but they will be fighting to register their first victory and restore some pride.
The Playing XIs are locked 🔒#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #LQvRP pic.twitter.com/v2cUyKo817
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) April 18, 2026
Recent form (most recent first):
- Lahore Qalandars:Loss, Loss, Loss, Win, Loss
- RawalPindiz:Loss, Loss, Loss, Loss, Loss
Squads
Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abdullah Shafique, Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Naeem, Mustafizur Rahman, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Fakhar Zaman, Ubaid Shah, Haseebullah, Mohammad Farooq, Daniel Sams, Charith Asalanka, Asif Ali, Tayyab Tahir, Dunith Wellalage, Rubin Hermann, Maaz Khan, Ryan Burl, Shahab Khan
RawalPindiz: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Sam Billings, Jalat Khan, Yasir Khan, Naseem Shah, Rishad Hossain, Daryl Mitchell, Mohammad Amir, Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Dian Forrester, Asif Afridi, Kamran Ghulam, Razaullah, Mohammad Amir Khan, Shahzaib Khan, Cole McConchie, Usman Khawaja, Saad Masood
