PSL 2021, match preview: Peshawar Zalmi to face Islamabad United today

• Islamabad were at the bottom of points table last year, but they have got off to an impressive start in PSL 2021.
• Peshawar are confident after chasing down two big targets against Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans.
• After the previous 12 encounters, both the teams are levelled at 6-all.

KARACHI: Confident Peshawar Zalmi will be aiming to break the winning streak of two-time former champions Islamabad United when the two sides face each other in match 10 of the Pakistan Super League tonight in Karachi.

Islamabad United finished at the bottom of the points table last year, but this time around, they have got off to an impressive start. They won the two games they have played  so far, beating Multan Sultans by 3 wickets, and defending champions Karachi Kings by 5 wickets.

The management of United will be happy and confident with the way the side has played in both the games and will enter the field tonight to continue showing teamwork, instead of individual glories.

Read more: Peshawar Zalmi beat Quetta Gladiators by 3 wickets

In both the victories so far for Islamabad United, the late middle-order batsmen made important contributions to those successful chases.

Iftikhar Ahmed, Hussain Talat, Alex Hales, and Lewis Gregory have contributed well to keep Johan Botha and Shadab Khan calm and confident ahead of their third game in the tournament.

Peshawar Zalmi, led by Wahab Riaz, got a three-wicket victory against Quetta Gladiators in a dramatic manner as Rutherford and Wahab Riaz destroyed Dale Steyn and other Quetta players in death overs. They have now won two games out of their first three matches of this tournament.

Earlier in this tournament, Zalmi started with a 4-wicket defeat against Lahore Qalanders but claimed a 6-wicket win against Multan Sultans.

Read more: Haider Ali wants to mirror Rohit Sharma's batting style

Zalmi must be confident with their batsmen as Haider Ali, Tom Kohler Cadmore, Imam ul Haq are also looking in good form. The way Zalmis chased the target against Gladiators shows the depth in their batting line as well.

Zalmi will also pin hopes on performances from Mujeeb-ur-Rehman and Saqib Mahmood as they can pose a challenge to Islamabad’s batsmen.

After the previous 12 encounters, both the teams are levelled at 6-all, and both will aim to take the lead tonight.

Picking a favourite for this game is a difficult task, but it seems that Peshawar Zalmi have momentum on their side.

Players to watch out for:

Peshawar Zalmi: Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik

Islamabad United: Alex Hales, Iftekhar Ahmed

Squad:

Peshawar Zalmi: Haider Ali, Kamran Akmal, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz, David Miller, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ravi Bopara, Sherfane Rutherford, Amad Butt, Umaid Asif, Saqib Mahmood, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Irfan, Ibrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir Khan

Islamabad United: Alex Hales, Asif Ali, Fawad Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hussain Talat, Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Zafar Gohar, Hassan Ali, Paul Stirling, Lewis Gregory, Phil Salt, Rohail Nazir, Ali Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Ahmed Saifi Abdullah, Zeeshan Zameer