Islamabad United (IU) and Peshawar Zalmi (PZ) will face each other in the 5th game of the ongoing edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on 14th April at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Match Preview:
It is going to be yet another exciting game at the PSL. Islamabad would be in much more confidence after beating Lahore Qalandars in the season opener. United showed a great, calm, comprehensive, and all-round performance in the first game of the season.
Moving to the next game, a lot will be dependent on players like Colin Munro, Agha Salman, the captain Shadab Khan and West Indian pacer Jason Holder. Holder performed well in the last game as well, Agha and Munro remained not-out as well.
Talking about Peshawar Zalmi, they had a disappointing start this season, losing to their arch-rivals Quetta Gladiators in the first game. The captain Babar Azam could not make a comeback as he scored a two-ball duck. If Zalmi needs to win, the captain Babar has to perform well.
One good point for Peshawar was the comeback of Saim Ayub. The southpaw scored 38-ball-50 on his comeback. Talking about the bowling, they need to bowl at good line and length to contain runs as bowling against Islamabad would be a more dangerous task even than Quetta.
One of the concerns for Zalmi is the batting number of Michael Owen. The batter was top-scorer in the Big Bash League (BBL) but as an opener. In the first game he batted at seven, so, if Zalmi wants to make more from his batting, he should bat up the order.
The game would be interesting in the manner as in last season’s eliminator the teams faced each other. While at one moment it was thought Zalmi would win, Imad Wasim and Haider Ali won the game for the eventual champions Islamabad United.
Probable Playing XI:
Islamabad United:
Agha Salman, IM Wasim, Jason Holder, Azam Khan (wk), Haider Ali, AGS Gous, C Munro, SH Khan (C), Naseem Shah, Riley Meredith, Sahibzada Farhan
Peshawar Zalmi:
T Kohler-Cadmore, Mohammad Haris (wk), Babar Azam (C), Max Bryant, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammad Ali, Sufyan Moqim, Ali Raza, Mitchell Owen
Pitch and weather report:
The Rawalpindi pitch is renowned for having good bounce and pace, making it a batting-friendly surface. In the middle overs, spinners should have some help. Because of the potential influence of the dew factor later in the evening, teams have historically preferred chasing at this location. A balanced battle between bat and ball is indicated by the average score of about 171 here.
With a temperature of about 14.4°C and a humidity of 35%, the weather is predicted to be clear. It’s perfect for cricket because there won’t be any rain.
Head-to-head record:
Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi have each won 12 of the 24 PSL games that have been played. This match is even more crucial to tilt the scales because the scores are deadlocked.
Prediction:
Given how Islamabad performed in the last season and won the first game of this season as well, they are favourites to win the upcoming encounter of the tournament.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan (TV): A Sports HD, PTV Sports
Pakistan (Live Streaming): tapmad, Tamasha, Daraz, myco, bogn
UK: Sky Sports, Geo News (Sky 734)
North America: Willow
Africa: SuperSport
MENA Region: myco
Bangladesh: T Sports
India (Linear TV): Sony Sports Network
India (Digital): FanCode
Sri Lanka & Afghanistan: Sony Sports Network
Rest of the World: Sports Central
