Quetta Gladiators vs Lahore Qalandars Tips & Preview – Qalandars Chase Playoff Spot As Gladiators Sit With A Wooden Spoon

By Nikhil Kalro

08 Mar 2024

Nikhil Kalro 08 Mar 2024

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Lahore Qalandars need to win their remaining games to avoid bottom finish, dependent on Karachi Kings' loss.
Quetta Gladiators require a win to secure a playoff berth, despite previous defeats.
Lahore Qalandars have a gained momentum after their win against Islamabad United.

Quetta Gladiators celebrate a dismissal against Karachi Kings in PSL 2024. (Getty Images)

Going into this game, Lahore Qalandars would know if there’s a chance to finish second from the bottom or if they’re destined to be rooted to the bottom.

Qalandars experiment as league stage draws to a close
Gladiators need to overcome mini-hiccups
Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators, Tips and Preview

They would’ve played Karachi Kings on Saturday in a clash of the bottom halves.

If the Qalandars win both their remaining games and the Kings lose, they’ll finish fifth, with the Kings finishing at the bottom. So even though they’re not going to progress to the playoffs, there’s plenty on the line for the Shaheen Afridi-led side.

Gladiators, meanwhile, play Peshawar Zalmi on Friday. Unlike the Qalandars, they have everything on the line. Ideally, they’d like to win their games and secure a playoff berth, but the mathematics says even one win can take them there. They’re fourth with four wins and a washout in eight games.

Qalandars experiment as league stage draws to a close

After six losses in a row, Qalandars were off the mark courtesy of a washout against Zalmi in Rawalpindi. Then, after a four-day break, they got the better of Islamabad United by 17 runs in a sensational bowling display, where they defended 162.

Qalandars, though, will have the massive challenge of playing two back-to-back games in the heat and humidity of Karachi, which could be telling. So, the luck of the draw sees them play potentially one of their toughest games right at the end, barely a day after playing against the hosts, Kings.

In that win, they tried out a few things. At 30 for 3, Shaheen walked out to ping hit and managed to play a cameo 30 off 14 balls to lift their run rater into orbit. Rassie van Der Dussen carried the batting through to make 64, and some support from David Wiese shorted them to 162, which Shaheen and Zaman Khan defended superbly.

Gladiators need to overcome mini-hiccups

Gladiators are yet to win a game this month. On March 2, they were robbed of two potential points due to a washout against United. On March 6, they slumped to one of their worst batting displays, bowled out for 118 in a seven-wicket thrashing of the Kings. Ahead of this game, they would’ve either broken the drought against Zalmi or extended it by eight days.

Lahore Qalandars vs Quetta Gladiators, Tips and Preview

Qalandars seem to have found their tempo and combination, even if it may have been a tad late. They finally look like a settled unit and will challenge Gladiators. Punt on them to pull off a surprise win.

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