Key match-ups, squad lists, head-to-head record, weather forecast, prediction, odds, form guide and more ahead of the first game of the 2022 Pakistan Super League season
Karachi Kings take on Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League.
The game is set for Thursday, January 27. The first ball will be bowled at 7pm local time (2pm GMT).
The game will be held at the National Stadium in Karachi.
The curtain comes down on the seventh edition of the PSL with a clash between the last two champions.
Karachi Kings were victors in 2020 before Multan Sultans went all the way last season.
With the first half of the tournament being held at the National Stadium, Karachi will have home advantage for a decent portion of the group phase though just 8,000 fans - 25 per cent of the total capacity - are expected before we move to Lahore.
Naturally, with this being the opening match there is little to go on in the way of a form guide.
Imad Wasim's side won the home game between the sides last term, with Babar Azam scoring an unbeaten 90 as part of a successful chase of 196.
But in the UAE, Sultans prevailed in what was just the second win of the tournament won by the side batting first. They put on 176 for 5 from their 20 overs, with Kings - needing 36 from two overs - losing four wickets from the final seven deliveries.
Kings would go on to finish fourth in the group stage and lose the Eliminator to Peshawar Zalmi. Sultans meanwhile went all the way to their maiden title, beating Zalmi in the final.
Mohammad Rizwan (Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images)
It is hard to ignore the heavyweight all-Pakistan clash at the top of each batting order, with Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam opening the innings for both sides.
The highest two scorers in a single calendar year going head-to-head at the start of 2022 is a mouth-watering prospect.
Rizwan was imperious last year, becoming the first player to go past 2,000 runs in the 20-over format (he eventually finished on 2,036) and eclipsing Chris Gayle's watermark of 1,665 made in 2015.
In the end, Rizwan did it with a degree of ease and without taking too many risks.
This is a Pakistan top two that go about their batting in a very deliberate, almost low-key way.
Previously, T20 cricket was about opening your shoulders and muscling any ball over the boundary. But Rizwan and Babar rarely lose their shape, play proper cricket shots and pick the gaps in the field.
Their relatively reserved approach is illustrated in how they accumulated their runs last year. Rizwan hit 196 fours and 57 sixes while Babar struck 186 and 37.
Both players hit the rope more than any other across T20 cricket, but maximums were in short supply. Indeed, six players hit more than Rizwan in 2021, and 26 finished above Babar.
That restraint is reflected in their strike rates, both of which sit in the 130s.
What is key is their returns. Three hundreds, 36 fifties and 15 not outs in 88 innings is a fearsome record for two players who like to bat through the innings and relish the responsibility to lead the line-up.
Matches played: 7
Karachi Kings wins: 5
Multan Sultans wins: 2
It will have cooled significantly from the heat of the day come the start of play, with temperatures around 21 degrees Celsius.
Karachi Kings: Babar Azam, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Amir, Joe Clarke, Sharjeel Khan, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Ilyas, Chris Jordan, Lewis Gregory, Umaid Asif, Tom Abell (injured, replaced by Ian Cockbain), Rohail Nazir, Muhammad Imran, Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram, Talha Ahsan, Romario Shepherd (unavailable, replaced by Tom Lammonby)
Supplementary round: Sahibzada Farhan, Jordan Thompson
Partial replacement: Mohammad Taha Khan
Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw, Sohaib Maqsood, Imran Tahir, Shan Masood, Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tim David, Rovman Powell, Rumman Raees, Asif Afridi, Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Sr., Abbas Afridi, Amir Azmat, Blessing Muzarabani, Ihsanullah
Supplementary round: David Willey, Rizwan Hussain
Partial replacements: Johnson Charles, Dominic Drakes
Babar Azam (Asif Hassan/AFPGetty Images)
Karachi Kings: Babar Azam, Joe Clarke, Sharjeel Khan, Rohail Nazir, Mohammad Nabi, Lewis Gregory, Aamer Yamin, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Taha Khan, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Amir
Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, Sohaib Maqsood, Tim David, Rilee Rossouw, Khushdil Shah, David Willey, Shahnawaz Dahani, Rumman Raees, Imran Khan, Imran Tahir
Karachi Kings are the 8/11 favourites in places, with Multan available at a surprisingly rich 11/10.
Multan have got an incredibly powerful top order, capable of both setting massive totals and chasing beyond the capabilities of an average lineup. Karachi look undercooked, despite the presence of some serious high calibre players. If Babar and Amir don't fire, this will be over quickly. Multan win.
In Pakistan, games will be on A Super and PTV Sports.
In the UK games will be shown on Sky Sports Cricket (Sky 404, Virgin 504).
In Australia, the games will be shown on Foxtel, Fox Sports and Kayo.
In India, Sony Sports Network carries the broadcast rights.
In the Caribbean, Flow Sports hold the broadcast rights, with Willow TV showing the tournament in North America.
SuperSport will provide coverage in South Africa, while Sky Sport will show the matches in New Zealand.
The PCB has partnered with ICC TV and tapmad TV to broadcast PSL7 in: Andorra, Antarctica, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bouvet Island, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Island, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, East Timor, Ecuador, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Faroe islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guyana, Heard Island, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgystan, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Caledonia, North Korea, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Vietnam and Venezuela.
The commentary line-up includes Nick Knight, David Gower, Mike Haysman, Pommie Mbangwa, Danny Morrison, Bazid Khan, Waqar Younis, Urooj Mumtaz, Sana Mir, Marina Iqbal and Tariq Saeed. Erin Holland, Zainab Abbas and Sikandar Bakht will present the live coverage.
PSL GUIDES (open in external window in app)
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