The much anticipated 9th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) kicked off on 17th February, 2024. Lahore Qalandars, who have won back to back PSL titles in the last two seasons under Shaheen Shah Afridi’s captaincy, took on the Shadab Khan-led Islamabad United in the inaugural game of the 2024 season. Shadab Khan was in ruthless form as he smashed an unbeaten 74 runs off 41 deliveries.
The home side, Lahore Qalandars, put up a total of 195 on the board after being put in to bat by Shadab Khan. However, the visitors managed to pull off a rather dominating victory as they completed the second highest successful run chase in Lahore in the league’s history, chasing down the target with 10 balls to spare.
On that note, let us look at 3 reasons why Lahore Qalandars failed to win against Shadab Khan-led Islamabad United:
(1) Slowing down after the batting powerplay
Lahore Qalandars got off to a flying start, thanks to their opener – Sahibzada Farhan. The right-handed batter went after the bowlers and helped his side post 66 runs on the board in the first six overs. Despite being in a commanding position, they failed to capitalize on the momentum provided by Farhan.
On just the third ball after the powerplay, the Islamabad United skipper struck to send Fakhar Zaman back to the pavilion. The flow of runs dried up, as they managed to score just 22 runs in the four overs after the powerplay. Between the 7th and 14th overs, only 54 runs were scored at less than 7 runs per over.
In contrast, Islamabad United scored 88 runs in that phase, at a mammoth 11 runs per over. This phase allowed Islamabad United to get back into the game after an expensive start with the ball. Although Lahore Qalandars scored 195 in their 20 overs, it still seemed as if they were 10-15 runs short.
(2) Lack of an explosive hitter in the middle order
Lahore Qalandars may have reached close to the 200-run mark. But, the lack of batting depth was quite evident with David Wiese and Shaheen Afridi coming in to bat at number 5 and 6 respectively. With the changing dynamics and requirements of T20 cricket, having a proper batter who can get going right from the first ball is almost a must.
Abdullah Shafique, batting at number 4, did clear the ropes thrice in his innings. In the remaining 19 balls that he faced, he scored just 10 runs. Rassie Van Der Dussen looked in impeccable touch, but he faced just four deliveries between the 17th and 19th overs. The absence of a middle order batter who could go big at will could be felt.
Islamabad United, on the other hand, still had the likes of Azam Khan, Haider Ali, Imad Wasim and Faheem Ashraf yet to bat. A strong middle order is often the key to winning titles in T20 cricket, and Lahore Qalandars appear to lack that firepower this time around.
(3) Star pace-duo failing to create an impact
The pair of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf was instrumental to Lahore Qalandars’ success over the last two seasons. With 72 wickets amongst themselves in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, they were the key to their side’s title-winning campaigns. To Lahore Qalandars’ misfortune, both of their star pacers have come into this season of the PSL looking very off-color.
It has been a while since their skipper has really looked threatening with the ball. Over the last couple of years, Shaheen had made it a habit to pick early wickets. Currently, his pace has seen a significant drop, and by the looks of it, the batters are almost always prepared to face the one that comes back in. The predictable nature of his bowling, along with his mid 130s pace, has reduced his threat early on significantly. On the other hand, Rauf has arguably been in the worst form of his life. The once feared pacer is now seen by batters as an easy target. Moreover, one would expect Rauf not to be in the best state of mind currently after central contract was terminated by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) right before the start of the PSL.
No early wickets for Shaheen and an expensive spell from Rauf made it easy for Islamabad United to chase down 196. Going forward, Shaheen would hope for better starts with the ball, and Rauf’s spot might as well be in danger with the pacer slowly becoming a liability for his T20 sides.