Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has expressed his best wickets for Lahore Qalandars as they look to defend their title in Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine.
The 25-year-old, who is not part of the franchise this year, sent his wishes in a video message. "Best of luck to captain Shaheen Afridi and the entire team for the PSL 9."
Rashid also apologised for not making it in the PSL since he is not part due to injury. "I am yet to recover from my back injury but my support is for the team. InshaAllah, we will defend the title but make sure to have fun too," he added.
It must be noted that Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United are all set to go head-to-head in the opening encounter of the PSL 9 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Islamabad have won the title two times, 2016 and 2018, while Lahore are the defending champions and are in pursuit of their third successive title after recording impressive wins in 2022 and 2023. Both teams will look to start the new season of the PSL with a blast. With a number of quality players on both sides, an epic showdown is expected between two powerhouses of the league.
The two sides have met for a total of 17 times with Islamabad having a slight edge with 9 wins. However, Lahore have dominated their counterparts since 2021 as they won all five encounters between them.
Like the previous edition, the PSL 9 will take place in two legs with Multan Cricket Stadium and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium hosting 14 matches between them from February 17 to 27. The action then moves to Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium and Karachi’s National Bank Stadium, where 16 matches will be held from February 28 to March 12. The event will then move to Karachi in its entirety for the playoffs.
Teams like Kings, Qalandars, Sultans, and United will play five matches at their respective home grounds, while Peshawar Zalmi will play four matches at Pindi Cricket Stadium. Quetta Gladiators, on the other hand, will play three matches each in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, with one match at Multan Cricket Stadium against the home side Sultans on February 25.
- Rashid Khan