Preview

Multan Sultans will cross swords with Islamabad United in the Qualifier of PSL 2021 on Monday in Abu Dhabi.   

Multan Sultans resurgence in the 2nd leg of PSL 2021 has been nothing short of extraordinary. Despite having to revamp their squad because of the unavailability of some players, the Sultans managed to churn out 4 wins from 5 of their group-stage games in Abu Dhabi. They were eventually propelled into the top two spots of the points table on the back of inspirited individual performances. The undisputed stars for them have been Mohammad Rizwan and Shahnawaz Dahani, both of whom have contributed heftily to the Sultans’ cause. The likes of Sohaib Maqsood, Imran Tahir, Rilee Rossouw, and Sohail Tanvir have also been mainstays throughout the competition. They will be itching to get the better of the two-time champions, Islamabad United, and qualify for their first-ever PSL final. 

Islamabad United, under the leadership of Shadab Khan, have been a force to reckon with in this year’s competition. They won a staggering 8 of their 10 group-stage games and were particularly dominant in the Abu Dhabi leg. At times, they have showcased the brutal strength they possess in terms of hard hitters with the likes of Colin Munro, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Asif Ali regularly coming to the fore. United also boast some excellent squad depth, particularly in the bowling department, where they have had the in-form Hasan Ali leading the pack. Faheem Ashraf’s return from injury means that the Men in Orange will be fielding a full-strength XI for the Qualifier. 

Match Detail

Islamabad United v Multan Sultans

Date & Time: 

June 21, 2021 - 6.00 PM PST.

Venue:

 Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Predicted Playing XIs

Islamabad United:

 Usman Khawaja (c), Colin Munro, Brandon King, Asif Ali, Akhlaq Mohd (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Hussain Talat, Zafar Gohar, Fawad Ahmed, Hasan Ali and Akif Javed

Multan Sultans:

 Shan Masood, Mohd Rizwan (c&wk), Sohaib Maqsood, Rilee Rossouw, Johnson Charles, Khushdil Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Imran Khan, Imran Tahir, Blessing Muzarabani and Shahnawaz Dhani

Fantasy XI 

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Shan Maqsood, Usman Khawaja, Rilee Rossouw, Iftikhar Ahmed, Hussain Talat, Sohail Tanvir, Shahnawaz Dhani (vc), Imran Tahir, Hasan Ali and Fawad Ahmed

Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

No pattern has emerged in Abu Dhabi as far as the 2nd leg of PSL 2021 is concerned. A glimpse at recent results suggests that the mercurialness of the tracks on offer is a factor to consider. With the start of play-offs on Monday, fresher batting tracks are expected which could be even more conducive to batting. Both captains are, however, still likely to prefer chasing in these conditions with the dew factor becoming much more prominent later in the night. As far as the weather conditions are concerned, temperatures are usually high during daytime and begin to fall to lower 30s (degrees Celsius) in night.