Pakistan Super League Team-by-team Guide: Champs Islamabad hard to stop

• Islamabad United clear favourites

• Muktan runners-up three years ina row

• Our cricket beting expert on the strengths and weaknesses of every team

• Best ways to bet each IPL franchise

• Player win-rates  for top bat and bowler markets

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Islamabad United 3/14.00

To reach final 1/12.00

2024 finish: Winners
Batting rank: 3
Bowling rank: 3
Top bat % last 2 years: van der Dussen 46 (13 matches)
Top bowler % last 2 years: Raees 30 (10)

Squad: Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Matthew Short, Azam Khan, Imad Wasim, Jason Holder, Haider Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Benjamin Dwarshuis, Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Andries Gous, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Irshad, Rassie van der Dussen, Riley Meredith, Sam Billings, Hunain Shah, Saad Masood, Riley Meredith

Possible XI: Short, Azam, van der Dussen, Haider, Salman, Shadab, Imad, Dwarshuis, Naseem, Meredith

Analysis: The champions may be even stronger with the addition of Rassie van der Dussen, who smashed 364 runs at a strike rate of 178 for Lahore last term. They looked light on pace last season but that has also been addressed with the arrival of Ben Dwarshuis and Riley Meredith. They made a late charge for the title, winning their last five to do it the hard way. This really shouldn't be as fraught and a top-two finish is well within their grasp. They are also evens to reach the final on the Exchange. 

Lahore Qalandars 7/24.50

To reach final 7/52.40

2024 finish: 6th
Batting rank: 4
Bowling rank: 6
Top bat % last 2 years: Shafique 26 (15)
Top bowler % last 2 years: Afridi 33 (21)

Squad: Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, Daryl Mitchell, Haris Rauf, Sikandar Raza, Kusal Perera, Abdullah Shafique, Jahandad Khan, Zaman Khan, David Wiese, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali Mohammad Akhlaq, Rishad Hossain, Muhammad Naeem, Salman Ali Mirza, Tom Curran, Momin Qamar, Muhammad Azab

Possible XI: Fakhar, Shafique, Kusal, Wiese, Asif/Akhlaq, T Curran/Raza, Jahandad, Rishad, Afridi, Rauf, Zaman

Analysis: Lahore missed Rashid Khan terribly last season. That coupled with Fakhar Zaman's loss of form meant they suffered a disastrous campaign. Daryl Mitchell making the starting XI would be a warning. Losing Rassie van der Dussen was careless. They do appear to be a batter light. Bangladesh spin all-rounder Rishad Hossain is an excellent addition. It's possible Mohammad Akhlaq and Abdullah Shafique open with Fakhar at No 3. They're too short in the betting given form.

Karachi Kings 7/24.50

To reach final 13/82.63

2024 finish: 5th
Batting rank: 5
Bowling rank: 2
Top bat % last 2 years: Vince 28.5 (14)
Top bowler % last 2 years: Abbas 25 (20)

Squad : Abbas Afridi, Adam Milne, David Warner, Hasan Ali, James Vince, Khushdil Shah, Irfan Khan Niazi, Shan Masood, Aamer Jamal, Arafat Minhas, Tim Seifert, Zahid Mahmood, Litton Das, Mir Hamza, Kane Williamson, Mirza Mamoon, Omair Bin Yousuf, Fawad Ali, Riazullah, Mohammad Nabi

Possible XI: Warner, Vince, Masood, Omair, Irfan, Seifert, Khushdil, Jamal, Minhas, Milne, Abbas

Analysis: It is a big ask to get on board with Karachi at joint-second favourites, a franchise which hasn't made it out of the group for the last three seasons, particularly one which may have balance issues. One of Tim Seifert or Litton Das has to play because there is no domestic keeper. Therefore if they deem Kane Williamson a good fit, alarm bells are ringing all day long. They are struggling for a sixth bowler also. The positives are they will be well-led and inspired by David Warner and the capture of Abbas Afridi from Multan. Adam Milne is also first-rate. 

Multan Sultans 5/16.00

To reach final 21/103.10

2024 finish: Runners-up
Batting rank: 1
Bowling rank: 1
Top bat % last 2 years: Rizwan 20 (24)
Top bowler % last 2 years: Usama 33 (24)

Squad: Mohammad Rizwan, Shai Hope, Usama Mir, Michael Bracewell, David Willey, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Khan, Chris Jordan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Faisal Akram, Akif Javed, Gudakesh Motie, Josh Little, Tayyab Tahir, Aamer Azmat, Johnson Charles, Yasir Khan, Shahid Aziz, Ubaid Shah

Possible XI: Rizwan, Charles/Hope, Usman, Iftikhar, Tayyab, Bracewell, Willey, Usama, Aziz, Jordan, Hasnain 

Analysis: Multan were the best batting team, the best bowling team and they won the ladder last season. Yet they still couldn't get over the line, finishing runner-up for the third-straight season. Mohammad Ali, 19 wickets last term, has left for Zalmi. Abbas Afridi has also gone. They decided to retain the irrelevant Faisal Akram for some reason. We're not wowed by Mohammad Hasnain as a pace signing. He can be very pricey. Tayyab Tahir has really struggled when stepping up for Pakistan. Maybe this season the big odds are justified. 

Peshawar Zalmi 5/16.00

To reach final 23/103.30

2024 finish: 2nd
Batting rank: 2
Bowling rank: 5
Top bat % last 2 years: Babar 52 (21)
Top bowler % last 2 years: Irshad 21 (14)

Squad: Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mohammad Haris, Corbin Bosch, Mohammad Ali, Hussain Talat, Nahid Rana, Abdul Samad, Arif Yaqoob, Mehran Mumtaz, Sufyan Muqeem, Max Bryant, Najibullah Zadran, Ahmed Daniyal, Alzarri Joseph, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat, Najibullah Zadran

Possible XI: Babar, Ayub, Haris, Kohler-Cadmore, Najibullah, Samad, Talat, Joseph, Daniyal,  Ali, Muqeem 

Analysis: Zalmi would have finished top last term had they not not lost their last two. They can bat. That's no problem. But expensive bowling was a major issue. They have tried to solve that with a major revamp. Mohammad Ali from Multan can lead the pace attack and spin whizz Sufi Muqeem, who has broken through to the Pakistan team, could be a game changer. Risky picks, however, are Alzarri Joseph and Ahmed Daniyal. They have high ceilings but low lows. They are the one side who do seem to deserve more respect on the market.

Quetta Gladiators 5/16.00

To reach final 21/103.10

2024 finish: 4th
Batting rank: 6
Bowling rank: 4
Top bat % last 2 years: Shakeel 30 (10)
Top bowler % last 2 years: Abrar 40 (10)

Squad: Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Abrar Ahmad, Mohammad Amir, Rilee Rossouw, Akeal Hosein, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Nafay, Usman Tariq, Haseebullah Khan, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Zeeshan, Danish Aziz, Kusal Mendis, Sean Abbott, Kyle Jamieson, Hasan Nawaz

Possible XI: Allen, Hasan, Kusal, Chapman/Rossouw, Shakeel, Faheem, Akeal, Wasim Jnr, Aziz, Amir, Abrar

Analysis: Quetta desperately needed to add batting power. Have they done that? Much relies on Hasan Nawaz, he of the fiery century for Pakistan in the recent T20 series. Mark Chapman is a good signing and he is well overdue a franchise chance. The bowling is leaning heavily on Mohammad Amir (31% top bowler win rate)  and an ageing Mohamamd Wasim Jnr. They have a chance of the play-offs for the second time in five seasons but it requires a new group to click. 

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