Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United will face each other in the 1st Qualifier of the ongoing PSL season on 21st May at Gaddafi Stadium.
Match Preview:
It is going to be an interesting match when Quetta and Islamabad will face each other in the first qualifier as both of the teams are in good form and are well-balanced. Islamabad qualified for the play offs long ago but they booked the second spot in their latest game when they faced Karachi Kings and thrashed the side by 79 runs. If anything, Islamabad will look forward to carrying the momentum when they face balanced Quetta in the upcoming match.
The comeback of Alex Hales was fruitful for the team as he scored 88 runs in the last game. United has been the team which is the most attacking team in the powerplay. The plus point is they have tried different openers and now the comeback of Hales makes their top-order formidable.
Their bowling has been on-par as well and in the last game Shadab Khan also showed the signs of comeback. He, not only, scored with the bat but also took 4 wickets with the ball.
The thing which can worry United is their middle-order. Their middle order is yet to fire properly in this season so far. The middle order averages nearly 20 in this season and if anything, the side would hope the middle order gains momentum before it’s too late.
Talking about Quetta, they have an ideal chance to play the final of the PSL after 10 long years. Abrar Ahmed has been the standout player for Quetta as he has the second most wickets with an economy rate under 7.50. The contributions from Mohammad Amir and Khurram Shehzad were great as well.
Faheem Ashraf has found his mojo before the main part of the tournament. Finn Allen and Rilee Rossouw are also back and it will give a major boost to the Gladiators. ‘
Although it looked all settled for Quetta, it would be nice to see if Saud Shakeel starts well in the powerplay. The side has the second most SR in the powerplay but it is because of the other opener and top order batter. So, if Saud can score some quickfire runs it would increase chances of his side to play the final.
Probable Playing XI:
Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (c), Alex Hales, Sahibzada Farhan, Rassie van der Dussen, Salman Agha, Haider Ali, Ben Dwarshuis, Salman Irshad, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Imad Wasim, Tymal Mills.
Quetta Gladiators: Saud Shakeel (c), Khawaja Nafay, Avishka Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Danish Aziz, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr., and Khurram Shahzad.
Pitch and weather report:
The pitch at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore has a smooth surface, good bounce, and is suitable for batting. While spinners enter the game later, fast bowlers may receive early movement. Teams frequently choose to bat first at this high-scoring location.
The temperature will be approximately 41°C, but because of the humidity, it will feel like 54°C. Although there won’t be any rain, the heatwave is still here, so be careful and drink plenty of water.
Head-to-head record:
A total of 20 games have been played between the side and both sides have won an equal amount of games – 10.
Prediction:
Islamabad is favourite to win this upcoming game.
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
Sri Lanka & Afghanistan: Sony Sports Network
Rest of the World: Sports Central
