Islamabad United will face table-toppers Multan Sultans in the 27th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine at the iconic Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
This will be the second encounter between United and Sultans in this tournament. In their previous clash, Multan Sultans emerged victorious with a convincing five-wicket win, setting the stage for an exciting match.
Islamabad United enter this match on the back of a confident performance against Karachi Kings, securing victory by five wickets. Karachi Kings scored 150 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs.
Despite facing a challenging target of 150 runs, Islamabad United chased it down with ease, thanks to impressive contributions from Shadab Khan and Agha Salman with the bat, along with a stellar bowling display by Tymal Mills, who claimed three crucial wickets.
United need a win to confirm their place in the playoffs and they will look to put every effort into the game.
Meanwhile, Multan Sultans will be seeking redemption after a narrow loss to Peshawar Zalmi in their previous fixture. Peshawar Zalmi scored 204 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs.
Multan Sultans were able to score only 200 runs in 20 overs for the loss of five wickets. Despite a valiant effort, falling short by just four runs, Multan Sultans showcased their batting depth with notable performances from Iftikhar Ahmed and Chris Jordan, who also made significant contributions with the ball, supported by Usama Mir's three-wicket haul.
Sultans have already qualified and they would aim to try out bench strength in the remaining game but a win will ensure them finishing as the top team and playing first qualifier.
Pitch Report
The surface in Rawalpindi will offer assistance to both batters and the bowlers. Spinners can play a big part in the middle overs but other than that, the batters will have an advantage. Bowling first will be ideal and anything over 180 runs is a good total on the board.
Probable Playing XIs
Islamabad United
Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, Tymal Mills
Multan Sultans
Mohammad Rizwan (wk/c), Reeza Hendricks, Dawid Malan, Tayyab Tahir, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Chris Jordan, David Willey, Usama Mir, Aftab Ibrahim, Mohammad Ali
Prediction
Islamabad United need a win to stay in contention for playoffs but looking at Multan Sultan’s form, Mohammad Rizwan’s men are favourites to win.