The Lahore Lions arrived in India after their visas issues, determined that they would at the very least make it through the qualifying group and into the main draw itself.
The first part of their mission was accomplished with wins against the Southern Express from Sri Lanka, and against the reigning CLT20 champions the Mumbai Indians. Defeat to the Northern Knights of New Zealand, was at it turns out irrelevant, as they secured second place in the group behind the Kiwis.
The Pakistan will now take their bow in the competition proper, when they face the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad.
It will be a major surprise if the Lions can take their challenge any further than Group A, with Chennai Super Kings, Dolphins and Perth Scorchers as well as Kolkata competing for the top two places, and a semi-final spot.
The Knight riders have already begun their campaign, with a dramatic contest against fellow IPL side the Chennai Super Kings, to put themselves in the driving seat in the group.
However, if they are to be serious challengers for Mumbai’s vacated title, then they need to avoid the kind of batting meltdowns that have become synonymous with the team, and which nearly cost them the match against Chennai.
After 10 overs of their innings, and chasing 158 against the Super Kings, it looked as if Kolkata had once more displayed their fallibility without the experienced Robin Uthappa and Jacques Kallis to bring a calmness to their play. In the course of 16 deliveries, between the the third and the fifth overs, they slipped from 9 for 0 to 9 for 2 and then 21 for 4.
When Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed they were 51 for 5 and looked doomed to defeat.
Fortunately for the Knight Riders, Ryan ten Doeschate and Andre Russell produced an 80 run partnership of such brutality that the game was once more turned on its head, and despite needing 98 from the last 10 overs, they won with an over to spare.