The seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) kicks off on January 27. The matches are scheduled in two cities, Karachi and Lahore, with the final set to take place on February 27 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The opening game of the PSL 2022 sees Karachi Kings lock horns with Multan Sultans at the National Stadium in Karachi. The Sultans are the defending champions and will look to kickstart their title defense on a winning note. Multan Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi in the final last year to lift the title. They will be led by Mohammad Rizwan, who had a dream run in the shortest format in 2021. He, along with Tim David, Rilee Rossouw and Sohaib Maqsood will form a formidable batting lineup. With Blessing Muzarabani and Shahnawaz Dahani leading the pace-bowling attack, the Sultans have a strong side capable of defending their title. Karachi Kings, meanwhile, will be led by Babar Azam. He has replaced Imad Wasim, who led the Kings to the playoffs last year. In 2020, they lifted the title and will look to be at their best in the upcoming edition.The Kings have got some power-hitters in Sharjeel Khan, Tom Abell and Mohammad Nabi on their side who will look to contribute to the team’s success over the next few weeks. In the last five matches between the two teams, Karachi Kings have won 2 while Multan Sultans have also won 2. The last encounter between the two sides saw Multan Sultans beat Karachi Kings by 12 runs.Babar Azam is the top run-scorer for Karachi Kings with 530 runs from his last 10 matches at an average of 75 and a strike rate of 133.Sharjeel Khan has also made 334 runs from his last 10 matches. Mohammad Ilyas has been the best bowler for Karachi Kings and has picked up 8 wickets from his last 5 matches while bowling at an economy rate of 9.70 and a strike rate of 13.Imad Wasim has also picked up 6 wickets from his last 10 matches.Sohaib Maqsood is the top run-scorer for Multan Sultans with 390 runs from his last 10 matches at an average of 55 and a strike rate of 157. Mohammad Rizwan has also made 388 runs from his last 10 matches.Shahnawaz Dhani has been the best bowler for Multan Sultans and has picked up 18 wickets from his last 10 matches while bowling at an economy rate of 8.15 and a strike rate of 12.Imran Tahir has also picked up 13 wickets from his last 7 matches. KARACHI KINGS VS MULTAN SULTANS MATCH DETAILS: Match: Karachi Kings vs Multan Sultans, Match 1, Pakistan Super League 2022 Date and Time: January 27th 2022, Thursday, 07:30 PM IST Venue: National Stadium, Karachi KARACHI KINGS VS MULTAN SULTANS PITCH REPORT The pitch at the National Stadium is a balanced track. The batters can play their strokes freely, once set. They have to be patient early in their innings as the ball tends to hold a bit on the surface. The spinners are expected to play a major role while bowling on this surface. KARACHI KINGS VS MULTAN SULTANS WEATHER FORECAST Clear skies will greet the two sides on Thursday. Temperatures in Karachi are expected to range between 12 and 24 degrees Celsius. PROBABLE TOP PERFORMERS PROBABLE BEST BATTER OF THE MATCH: MOHAMMAD RIZWAN- MULTAN SULTANS Not many batters would be back to score most runs nowadays when Babar Azam is in option. However, such has been the form of Mohammad Rizwan. The right-handed batter enjoyed a dream run last year and piled up a plethora of runs across formats. He was also exceptional in PSL 2021 and should be expected to replicate his heroics again. SHAHNAWAZ DAHANI – MULTAN SULTANS With 20 wickets in 11 matches, Shahnawaz Dahani finished as the highest wicket-taker of PSL 2021. The right-arm pacer can set the speed gun on fire and the bucket of variations in his arsenal makes him even more effective. Dahani is also a capped player now and many eyes will be on him. KARACHI KINGS VS MULTAN SULTANS MATCH PREDICTION Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will square off against each other in this game, making it a fascinating contest. Both sides will come out all guns blazing in their opening game of the competition. The Multan Sultans have a good balance to their side and are expected to come through this match. PREDICTION: MULTAN SULTANS TO WIN THIS ENCOUNTER.