Lahore Qalandars seek the elusive Pakistan Super League title as they take on in-form defending champions Multan Sultans in the final in Lahore on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Shaheen Shah Afridi-led Qalandars are one of the only six teams not to have won the title since the Twenty20 league started in 2016.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They lost to Karachi Kings in the only final they played in 2020.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But the task for Qalandars is tough as they face a rampaging Sultan side that won nine of their ten first-round matches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Qalandars were the only side to beat them in the first round but Sultans avenged that defeat by trouncing Qalandars in the qualifiers by 28 runs on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Shaheen, whose side edged out Islamabad United by six runs in a last-over thriller in the second eliminator on Friday, vowed his team will not settle for anything less than winning the trophy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"After Friday night's incredible win we want to settle for nothing but the PSL trophy," said Shaheen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sultans are led inspirationally by Mohammad Rizwan, declared Twenty20 international player of the 2021 by the International Cricket Council last month.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rizwan hoped his team can repeat their last year's triumph in the final held in Abu Dhabi.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"It has been an amazing tournament for us and I, as captain, could not have asked more from my players," said Rizwan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Both the teams are power-packed in batting as well as in bowling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Qalandars have Fakhar Zaman as opener who has so far scored a league record of 585 at a strike rate of 154.35.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rizwan is Sultan's top run-getter with 532 runs while his opening partner Shan Masood has 459.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sultans also have power hitters in Western Australian Tim David and former South African Rilee Rossouw.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Their attack has Lahore born former South African Imran Tahir, Shahnawaz Dahani and Khushdil Shah who all have 16 wickets in the tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Shaheen is the spearhead of Qalandars' attack with 17 wickets while newcomer slinger Zaman Khan (16) and Pakistan international Haris Rauf has 15 wickets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Qalandars tried valiantly to bring in their ace Afghan spinner Rashid Khan from Bangladesh in a chartered flight to play on Sunday, but gave up as logistics were a big problem.<\/p>\r\n\r\n