Shaheen Afridi & Fakhar Zaman for Lahore Qalandars (Source: AFP)
The Lahore Qalandars vs Multan Sultans clash is set to take place at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore as the PSL 2026 is all underway. The match is scheduled for Friday, April 3, as fans will be able to watch it live from 7:30 PM IST.
Lahore Qalandars vs Multan Sultans Preview
The Lahore Qalandars have been in mixed form this PSL, winning one and losing one game under the leadership of Shaheen Afridi.
Though they started their campaign with a win, a loss came against Karachi Kings, where the infamous ball tampering incident took place too. Nevertheless, the fight will continue for the playoff spot with names like Fakhar Zaman and Sikandar Raza by their side.
Multan Sultans, on the other hand, boast a solid victory against the Islamabad United before this match. The Ashton Turner led team boats names like Steve Smith and Sahibzada Farhan, and to counter the batting onslaught, Lahore needs to field some of their strongest bowling as well as batting lineups.
Hence, with both teams ready to fire, let’s take a look at Lahore Qalandars Playing XI vs Multan Sultans ahead of the PSL 2026 clash.
Lahore Qalandars Playing XI vs Multan Sultans - PSL 2026 Match 11
Top Order- Rubin Hermann, Mohammad Naeem, Abdullah Shafique, Ryan Burl
Lahore Qalandars' openers Mohammad Naeem and Fakhar Zaman were not impressive at all with the bat in their last outing against Karachi Kings. Also, Fakhar was handed a two-match ban after the ball-tampering incident. Hence, replacing him could be Proteas opener Rubin Hermann who might open alongside Mohammad Naeem.
Abdullah Shafiq, the 26-year-old right-hand batter, will continue at number 3, given his solid form in the National T20 Cup 2026, where he averaged 41 at a strike rate of 164. In the PSL match too, he managed 33 runs against Karachi Kings and was the highest run-scorer among the lot.
For number 4, regular overseas option Parvez Hossain Emon might be reconsidered for the position. He failed with the bat against Karachi, scoring just 12 runs in a high-pressure situation.
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Hence, Qalandars might move on to look at Ryan Burl, from Zimbabwe, who had an impressive T20 World Cup warm-up campaign where he averaged 51 from two matches.
Burl is an interesting T20 performer who will be playing in the PSL for the first time, but in the Bangladesh Premier League, he has a good record with 620 runs at an average of 31 from 37 matches.
Middle Order and All-Rounders- Haseebullah Khan (wk), Sikandar Raza, Shaheen Afridi (c)
The middle order will see Haseebullah Khan take charge at number 5. He scored a decent 31 off 28 in the last outing, and he has been consistent given the fact that in the first PSL encounter against Hyderabad Kingsmen, he slammed a 28-ball 40, underlining his importance as a middle-order accelerator in this position.
Next in line would be Zimbabwe skipper and all-rounder Sikandar Raza, who with his all-round skills will be a dual threat for Multan Sultans.
In the PSL, he is currently averaging 21.50 from the two encounters he has played, while striking at 138.71. However, with the ball, he bagged two wickets, both from the Hyderabad Kingsmen match on March 26.
Shaheen Afridi will take up the bat next. Although known for his searing pace bowling, Afridi's strike rate of 316.67 in PSL 2026 speaks of his pinch-hitting abilities in the late middle order.
Primarily a bowler, Afridi has taken five wickets from the two matches he has played while maintaining an economy rate of 5.75. He had a phenomenal four-wicket haul against Karachi Kings on March 29, despite the team's loss, hence underlining his ability as a dual threat in the all-rounder category.
Bowlers- Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Mustafizur Rahman, Shahab Khan
The bowling lineup will be led by Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, heading the pace battery for the team. Meanwhile, Mustafizur Rahman will also be part of the pace attack.
Both Rauf and Rahman scalped one wicket each in the previous outing, while Afridi was the star with his four-wicket haul.
Meanwhile, Ubaid Shah, the 20-year-old Pakistani cricketer, might be replaced despite his economical bowling in the match. Shahab Khan, the 31-year-old primarily known for his performances in the National T20 Cup, might get a chance in the playing XI given his proven track record in recent tournaments.
In the National T20 Cup this year, he scalped 13 wickets from just five innings. In the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he also managed four wickets, appearing in six games, hence underlining his pace abilities as a left-arm pacer.
Overall, the Lahore Qalandars playing XI vs Multan Sultans looks balanced, with the top order having heavyweight names, while the all-rounder and bowling segments are also equally covered to give a tough challenge to their opponent.
Lahore Qalandars Playing XI vs Multan Sultans: Rubin Hermann, Mohammad Naeem, Abdullah Shafique, Ryan Burl, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Sikandar Raza, Shaheen Afridi (c), Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Mustafizur Rahman, Shahab Khan
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