Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi: Table-toppers look to maintain ascendency

Top teams Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi are set to engage in what promises to be a mouthwatering clash as both teams are on a winning spree. The 26th match of the ongoing PSL 6 will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Islamabad United are comfortably placed at the top of the table with 12 points and have lost only two games thus far. Islamabad United have been impeccable after initial hiccups in the tournament. They have overpowered Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars comprehensively.

On the other hand, Peshawar Zalmi have so far played nine games and bagged five wins. They are just behind United in the points table with 10 points and a net run rate of 0.726.

Three-fers from Abrar Ahmed and Wahab Riaz and a stupendous batting display from Hazratullah Zazai steered Peshawar Zalmi to a walk in the park six-wicket win over Karachi Kings in the 24th match of the Pakistan Super League 6 on Tuesday.

In pursuit of a paltry 109, Zalmi got off to a flier. Hazratullah, the southpaw from Afghanistan teed off in style and deflated Kings’ bowlers and scored his first PSL fifty off just 17deliveries which happened to be the joint-fastest in the HBL PSL history.

Zalmi management would like Haider Ali and Shoaib Malik to convert their starts to substantial scores in the all-important stage of the PSL-6.. Malik scored a terrific 73-run-knock but then couldn't contribute much in the last two matches. However, Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford have been providing the acceleration down the order.

Islamabad United are riding high on confidence as well. They pulled off a marvellous win over Karachi Kings by chasing 191 with six balls to spare as Colin Munro and Iftikhar Ahmed forged a tremendous partnership. Having said that, United's bowlers didn't have a great outing the other day as bowlers bled plenty of runs and weren't disciplined in the death overs. It could very well be a contest between two solid batting line-ups today in the first match of the double-header.

Quotes

"With a new hard ball and pace, you will get everything if you bowl in right area. I had worked out a plan and wanted to attack Babar from the very first ball, bringing the ball in to him using the blind spot [the left-arm over angle creates]. But once the game goes on, after five overs or so, the swing is reduced and batsmen control back," said Wahab Riaz on Babar Azam's dismissal.

"I am playing in the PSL for the first time and my experience so far has been very good. We have legends like Inzamam bhai [Inzamam-ul-Haq] and there are other coaches as well. I’m getting a lot of support here,” said Hazratullah Zazai

“You know he just told me, in broken English ‘stay on the pitch, stay on the pitch’. So we batted really well and complemented each other really well. I think he batted beautifully tonight, kept me calm in some situations there," said Colin Munro on his partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed.

Squads