Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United, PSLT20, Today Match Prediction 16 March 2024

PSZ vs ISU Match Prediction & Analysis

The ticket to the grand finale is up for grabs, as Peshawar Zalmi meet Islamabad United in the second eliminator at the National Stadium, Karachi.

Multan Sultans brushed Peshawar Zalmi aside with a clinical performance, exposing several loopholes in their batting and bowling units. The men from Peshawar, who have a second shot at the final, will be hoping to make it count by putting in a collective effort, with both bat and ball.  Not being overly reliant on Captain Babar and having several batsmen chip in with handy contributions is key for them to challenge a team like Islamabad United in this crucial fixture. 

They’ll have their task cut out against Team Islamabad who ran past Quetta Gladiators in their knockout match but not without some brainfade moments that exposed their soft underbelly.

Converting promising starts into substantial scores, building strong partnerships, and maintaining bowling discipline throughout the innings will be Islamabad United's key focus areas on their quest to defeat Peshawar Zalmi en route to the final.

It should be a cracking contest.

RECENT PERFORMANCE

PSZ

L W W W L

MS

147/3 in 18.3 7.95

PSLT20

Multan Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi by 7 wickets 14 Mar 2024

PSZ

146/7 in 20.0 7.3

KRK

145/5 in 20.0 7.25

PSLT20

Peshawar Zalmi won by 2 runs 11 Mar 2024

PSZ

147/6 in 20.0 7.35

PSZ

196/8 in 20.0 9.8

PSLT20

Peshawar Zalmi beat Quetta Gladiators by 76 runs 08 Mar 2024

QTG

120/10 in 17.5 6.73

MS

200/5 in 20.0 10

PSLT20

Peshawar Zalmi beat Multan Sultans by 4 runs 05 Mar 2024

PSZ

204/5 in 20.0 10.2

ISU

196/4 in 20.0 9.8

PSLT20

Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 29 runs 04 Mar 2024

PSZ

167/9 in 20.0 8.35

ISU

W W W L W

ISU

174/9 in 20.0 8.7

PSLT20

Islamabad United beat Quetta Gladiators by 39 runs 15 Mar 2024

QTG

135/10 in 18.4 7.23

ISU

232/7 in 20.0 11.6

PSLT20

Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans by 3 wickets 10 Mar 2024

MS

228/4 in 20.0 11.4

ISU

151/5 in 18.4 8.09

PSLT20

Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by 5 wickets 07 Mar 2024

KRK

150/7 in 20.0 7.5

ISU

145/10 in 18.5 7.7

PSLT20

Lahore Qalandars beat Islamabad United by 17 runs 06 Mar 2024

LHQ

162/7 in 20.0 8.1

ISU

196/4 in 20.0 9.8

PSLT20

Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 29 runs 04 Mar 2024

PSZ

167/9 in 20.0 8.35

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Peshawar Zalmi Preview

Peshawar Zalmi's batting just hasn't been firing on all cylinders this season. While skipper Babar Azam has been a rock, consistently scoring over 500 runs season after season, the remaining batsmen have failed to play around him. Saim Ayub has done a decent job though opening alongside him. However, the likes of Rovman Powell and Mohammad Haris showcase glimpses of brilliance with high strike rates, but their low averages expose inconsistency in converting starts into substantial scores. Their batting performance against the Sultans displayed a familiar pattern - inconsistency.

They had to settle for a less than par score of 146 because they lost wicket frequently and found it difficult to string some partnerships together through the middle overs, mirroring their struggles throughout the season. Basically, they got to team up and score runs together, not just rely on one player. Keeping the scoreboard ticking over is key if they want to win knockout matches against a team like Islamabad. They're over-reliant on Babar and a top-order collapse can trigger a complete batting failure, ruining their chances of getting to a sizeable total to put presure on the opposition. Other batsmen must find their rhythm and replicate Babar's consistent approach.

Peshawar Zalmi's bowling attack against Sultans showed inconsistency in taking wickets, despite some bowlers being economical. This can be a concern, especially when opposition has plenty of wickets in the bag with just a few overs to go. Their bowlers need to produce wickets at crucial junctures in the match, while bowling economically. Zalmi has the talent, but they need to play smarter, score faster, and take wickets at regular intervals. Their skipper Babar Azam is confident, and if they sort out their issues, they have a genuine shot at the final.

Peshawar Zalmi Predicted Playing XI:

Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris (wk), Haseebullah Khan, Tom Kohler-Core, Rovman Powell, Paul Walter, Aamer Jamal, Luke Wood, Mehran Mumtaz, Salman Irshad.

Peshawar Zalmi Actual Playing XI:

Hussain Talat, Arif Yaqoob, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Haris, Tom Kohler Core, Rovman Powell, Aamer Jamal, Mehran Mumtaz, Luke Wood, Khurram Shehzad

Islamabad United Preview

Islamabad United heads into the crucial second eliminator against Peshawar Zalmi with a recent performance that showcased both potential and areas for improvement. 

Debutant Martin Guptill, replacing Colin Munro, stepped up irably with a top score of 56. The top order and the upper-middle order contributed with Alex Hales (23), Agha Salman (31), and Shadab Khan (23) chipping in. However, a late order collapse saw them lose 6 wickets for a mere 19 runs in the final three overs, highlighting the need for a more consistent lower-middle order contribution. Azam Khan, though impactful with a blazing 18 off 6 balls at a blistering 300 strike rate, was looking good for more but couldn't quite extend his stay at the crease.

The bowling attack started well and dismissed half the side in less than 5 overs but lost the plot a bit during the middle. Obed McCoy, another player making his season debut, impressed with his economical spell, conceding just 13 runs and picking up a wicket in his 3 overs. Imad Wasim emerged as the wrecker-in-chief, dismantling Quetta's top order with a stellar 3-wicket haul, leaving the opposition teetering at 16/5 in the 5th over. However, Shadab Khan's expensive outing (42 runs in 4 overs) exposed a chink in their armour. Their bowlers also let the Quetta Gladiators’ tail wag a bit too much.

Addressing these inconsistencies in bowling, especially in the death overs, will be crucial against the Peshawar Zalmi batting lineup.

Islamabad United Predicted Playing XI:

Alex Hales, Martin Guptill, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, Obed McCoy.

Islamabad United Actual Playing XI:

Alex Hales, Martin Guptill, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, Obed McCoy

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The decks here have played better than expected in the knockout matches so far, and this seems to be a good pitch to score runs on. The key for batsmen is to get their eye in and keep wickets intact until the death overs so they can explode later. The weather forecast seems to be fine and there is no rain predicted.

PSZ vs ISU Pitch Report

This match will be played at the National Stadium, Karachi. United have won both their matches at this venue, while Peshawar Zalmi have won one and lost one. These teams have met each other here five times, and the United are slightly ahead with 3 wins and 2 losses—the latest of their wins coming last season when they cantered to victory chasing 159 with 31 balls remaining.

Toss: To Bat

Of the 9 matches at this venue so far, teams batting second have chased successfully in 5 games and teams batting first have defended their totals in 4 games. There is no distinct advantage to chasing here so the team winning the toss will most likely choose to bat first and post a huge total on board.