Likely PSL playing XIs for the playoffs after squad reshuffle due to COVID-19

Peshawar Zalmi

Peshawar Zalmi are the most successful team of the remaining contingent.

Peshawar Zalmi look very strong on paper, but need to win three games to be the PSL 2020 champions. The batting looks fairly good with Kamran Akmal and the experienced Faf du Plessis likely opening. In-form Haider Ali will come in at three, with Shoaib Malik and replacement signing Sohaib Maqsood to bolster the middle-order.

With just one overseas spot used so far, the team is off to a good start. All-rounder Carlos Brathwaite will be depended upon for finishing the innings and act as the sixth bowler, so Zalmi potentially have a long tail.

Darren Sammy will continue his non-playing role and has been replaced with Sohaib Maqsood, so the captain will be Wahab Riaz. His pace allies will be South African Hardus Viljoen, surprisingly uncapped from this year's IPL, and England's Saqib Mahmood, who was a surprise replacement for Liam Livingstone, who has national duties.

Mohammad Mohsin is very likely to feature in the XI while the second spinner will be either the experienced Yasir Shah or another leg-spinner, emerging player Aamir Ali. Zalmi could also plump for a fifth pacer, probably Rahat Ali. Hasan Ali is presumed out after picking up another injury in the Quaid e-Azam trophy.

First XI: Kamran Akmal (W), Faf du Plessis, Haider Ali (Emerging), Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Carlos Brathwaite, Mohammad Mohsin, Wahab Riaz (C), Hardus Viljoen, Saqid Mahmood, Yasir Shah.

Bench: Imam ul-Haq, Umar Amin, Adil Amin, Khurram Shehzad, Ali Khan, Rahat Ali, Aamir Ali (Emerging)

Lahore Qalandars

Lahore Qalandars reached the play-offs for the first time ever in 2020.

The PSL's perennial wooden spooners, Lahore Qalandars finally reached the PSL play-offs in the 2020 season, their first experience of knockout cricket. They are, however, still huge outsiders.

The batting is hard to figure out, with the desperately out of form Fakhar Zaman partnering Bangladesh international Tamim Iqbal, before in-form Mohammad Hafeez and their star player from 2020, Ben Dunk. Captain Sohail Akhtar completes the batting.

Overseas all-rounders Samit Patel and David Wiese look fairly solid in the middle before the Qalandars real strength, their pace bowling, presents itself. Pakistan's star pacer Shaheen Afridi martials an attack comprising of the dangerous left-armer Usman Shinwari and Pakistan international Haris Rauf. The emerging spot will likely go to Qalandars academy leg-spinner Maaz Khan, who featured regularly towards the end of the group stage.

First XI: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk (W), Sohail Akhtar (C), Samit Patel, David Wiese, Usman Shinwari, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Maaz Khan (Emerging).

Bench: Abid Ali, Agha Salman, Dane Vilas (W), Jaahid Ali (W), Dilbar Hussain, Mohammad Faizan (Emerging), Farzan Raja.