Last Updated on 3 months by Charbel Coorey

KAR vs MUL Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report: PSL 2022 Match 1 | KAR vs MUL Dream11 Prediction Today | Karachi Kings vs Multan Sultans Key Players | Karachi Pitch Report

The PSL, one of the world’s premier T20 competitions, is back for another year. Multan Sultans, who won the title for the first time last year, will be out to make the perfect start to their title defence.

Their batting looks strong once again, with Mohammad Rizwan, Sohaib Maqsood and co. tasked with producing the form they did last season. Shahnawaz Dahani had a breakthrough season with the ball in 2021 and will be aiming to replicate that sort of form in a T20 World Cup year, especially on what is expected to be an excellent batting pitch in Karachi.

Karachi Kings, despite qualifying the playoffs for a sixth consecutive time in 2021, fell away in the UAE leg of the tournament. They had lost three matches in a row at one point, before bowing out in the Eliminator.

Babar Azam is leading the side this season, and he will be looking to make an immediate impact with the bat against his opposite number and Pakistan teammate Rizwan. Also, the Kings’ bowlers will be tasked with keeping the Sultans’ batting quiet, which promises to be quite the ask in such conditions.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Karachi Kings:

• Babar Azam easily has the most runs in Kings-Sultan matches. The Kings’ skipper has a superb 400 runs in seven matches at an average of 80.00 and strike rate of 131.58, including 90* off 60 balls on this ground last season.
• Babar also has the most T20 runs at National Stadium in Karachi, with 1,264 runs at an average of 63.20 and strike rate of 135.77.
• Joe Clarke smashed 54 of 26 balls vs Sultans on this ground in PSL 2021. The Englishman is coming off an excellent BBL campaign, where he scored 419 runs in 13 innings at an average of 32.23 and strike rate of 151.26.
• Sharjeel Khan averages just 12.75 in four innings vs Multan, and 23.30 in 25 T20s on this ground. Can he turn these numbers around?
• Mohammad Amir has the most wickets in Kings-Sultan matches, with nine wickets in seven matches at an average of 21.78 and economy rate of 7.30. Amir had a very tough PSL 2021 campaign, where he took just five wickets in 11 matches at an average of 69.80 and economy rate of 8.37.
• Amir at National Stadium, Karachi: 17 matches, 15 wickets, avg. 32.80, econ. 7.51.
• Mohammad Ilyas took the most wickets of any Kings bowler in PSL 2021, with eight wickets in five matches at an average of 21.62. However, he will be aiming to reduce the economy rate of 9.70.

Multan Sultans:

• Millions will be looking forward to watching Mohammad Rizwan in action after an incredible 2021. He scored 2,036 runs in all T20s at a superb average of 56.56 and strike rate of 132.04, including 500 runs in PSL 2021 at an average of 45.45 and strike rate of 127.87.
• Rizwan has an excellent record at Karachi, with 593 runs in 13 innings at an average of 53.90 and strike rate of 142.21. Also, he has scored 182 runs in six innings vs Karachi Kings at an average of 36.40 and strike rate of 126.39.
• Sohaib Maqsood was player of the tournament in PSL 2021, after leading the Sultans to their first title. The hard-hitting right-hander smashed 428 runs in 12 matches at a superb average of 47.55 and strike rate of 156.77.
• Maqsood also has excellent numbers at Karachi: 18 innings, 540 runs, avg. 41.54, SR 132.68. He has 115 runs in seven innings vs Karachi Kings at an average of 28.75 and strike rate of 129.21.
• Rilee Rossouw averaged just 19 in PSL 2021, but he delivered in the Final as he smashed 50 off 21 balls. Also, the left-hander has scored just 133 runs in 10 innings at Karachi at an average of 19.00, and averages 24 in 11 matches vs Karachi Kings. However, he was player of the match (44 off 24 balls) in his last match vs Kings.
• Shahnawaz Dahani had an outstanding PSL 2021 campaign. The seamer took the most wickets of any bowler, with 20 scalps in 11 matches at an average of 17.00 and economy rate of 8.42.
• Dhani has good numbers at Karachi. He has taken 10 wickets in five matches at an average of 17.80, although he will want to bring his economy rate of 9.37 down.
• Imran Tahir has six wickets in four matches vs Kings at an average of 17.33 and economy rate of 7.43.

Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 9, Kings 5, Sultans 2, N/R 2.
• Both Kings and Sultans won one match each against each other last season.
• The chasing team won 13 of 14 matches in Karachi in PSL 2021.
• Imad Wasim has taken just 14 wickets in 22 innings at Karachi.

Possible Playing 11

Karachi Kings: 1. Sharjeel Khan, 2. Babar Azam (c), 3. Joe Clarke (wk), 4. Sahibzada Farhan, 5. Aamer Yamin, 6. Jordan Thompson, 7. Lewis Gregory, 8. Imad Wasim, 9. Mohammad Ilyas, 10. Umaid Asif, 11. Mohammad Amir

Multan Sultans: 1. Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), 2. Johnson Charles, 3. Sohaib Maqsood, 4. Rilee Rossouw, 5. Khushdil Shah, 6. David Willey/Tim David, 7. Anwar Ali, 8. Abbas Afridi, 9. Shahnawaz Dahani, 10. Imran Khan, 11. Imran Tahir

National Stadium Karachi Pitch Report and Weather

Karachi is historically one of the best batting grounds not only in Pakistan, but world cricket. Pakistan and West Indies played out a high-scoring T20I series on this ground in December, with an average first innings score of 193.

In last season’s PSL, the chasing team absolutely dominated, winning 13 of the 14 matches. The average first innings score was 168 in PSL 2021, and the team batting first today needs to put on a big score.

A cool and clear evening is forecast in Karachi. Dew may play a role. Expect the captain who wins the toss to choose to field first.

Dream11 Prediction

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

• Wicket-keepers: Mohammad Rizwan, Joe Clarke
• Batsmen: Babar Azam, Sohaib Maqsood
• All-rounders: Imad Wasim
• Bowlers: Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Amir

Match Prediction

Sultans start as favourites, but this could ultimately come down to whichever team has the pleasure of chasing on this ground.