KARACHI: Karachi Kings will be aiming for a second place finish in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) table if they beat table topper Islamabad United in their last game while Peshawar Zalmi must win against Lahore to sneak into the last four as league phase finishes in Sharjah on Friday.
Karachi Kings lost their penultimate match against Peshawar by 44 runs to give their opponents a lifeline. Karachi are pitted against an in-form Islamabad who beat Quetta Gladiators by six wickets on Thursday to top the table with 14 points in nine games.
Karachi will be hard pressed to beat Islamabad as they managed 137-8 against Peshawar and now need to score big to put a well balanced Islamabad under pressure.
A win will give Karachi a bounty as they will again face Islamabad in the top two clash in the first qualifier in Dubai on Sunday. The winner of the qualifier will play the final while the loser will get another chance to play the winners of eliminator of number three and four.
Karachi’s foreign players Joe Denly and Colin Ingram were dismissed without scoring against Peshawar while stand-in skipper Eoin Morgan managed five and Ravi Bopara seven.
If Karachi wants to win the foreigners will have to fare batter besides their death over bowling also needs a huge lift as they conceded 123 in the last ten overs to Peshawar.
Peshawar will also be wary of Lahore Qalanadars who have won three consecutive matches since going out of the play-off contention after losing tgeir first six matches.
Peshawar will have to stop Lahore’s aggressive opener Fakhar Zaman who managed 94 against Quetta on Wednesday. Lahore may also be without spinner Sunil Narine whose action was reported as suspect on Friday.
They may not risk him as if he was reported again he will be suspended from the PSL.
 table if they beat table topper Islamabad United in their last game while Peshawar Zalmi must win against Lahore to sneak into the last four as league phase finishes in Sharjah on Friday.){kind=link}