Table-toppers, Islamabad, and playoff hopefuls Peshawar lock horns in the first doubleheader clash of Pak T20 League. Both sides are coming off a comfortable win over the defending champions.
Match Timings: June 17, 6:30 PM IST
Team Preview
Islamabad will enter in today’s Pak T20 League 2021 to seal the playoffs berth. They are in top form, after losing the first game at Abu Dhabi and since then, they have been a strong side. Islamabad have taken a top spot in the points table with 12 points and one more victory will give them official qualification in the playoffs. They would look to maintain the winning streak to finish in the top two.
Islamabad edged past the defending champions in their previous game and they chased down a big total of 191. They lost two wickets early in powerplay but Colin Munro and Iftikhar both put a winning stand of 150 runs. Munro and Iftikhar both are having a great season with the bat and it was the second top performance from them. Chasing a target on this tricky track is not an easy task but they did a tremendous job. Shadab would be happy after seeing middle-order performing. The bowling might be a concern because you cannot allow teams to score 180-190 in the first innings. Islamabad would aim for a hattrick of the wins when they play Peshawar tonight.
Meanwhile, Peshawar also defeated Karachi in their last game and it was an important win for them. Peshawar’s bowling unit restricted Karachi on 108, thanks to Wahab Riaz and Abrar Ahmed’s 3-wicket hauls. Peshawar hammered Karachi’s bowling as Zazai was in great touch who scored 63 off just 26 balls. They have boosted their net run rate which will help them to crack the playoffs code. Lahore’s defeat is a big boon to them and they can look for a top-two finish. Wahab’s captaincy in field is not up to the mark but Malik’s role would be important. Toss and dew is playing an important role.
Pitch Report
Abu Dhabi’s track is a good track for batting and it will offer a high-scoring game. The surface is providing high assistance to batsmen in night matches. Win the toss and bowl first is the current winning formula on this pitch.
Possible XI
Peshawar
Kamran Akmal (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Abrar Ahmed, Wahab Riaz (c), Umaid Asif, Mohammad Irfan, Sameen Gul
Islamabad
Colin Munro, Usman Khawaja, Shadab Khan (c), Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Muhammad Akhlaq (wk), Hasan Ali, Ali Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Akif Javed
Key Players
Peshawar
Hazratullah Zazai
A hard-hitter in the powerplay, 63 off 26 in last game
Shoaib Malik
An experienced batsman in middle-order, a handy spin option in middle overs
Islamabad
Colin Munro
Played two destructive knocks in Abu Dhabi, would be a key figure in top-order
Shadab Khan
An effective all-rounder, would be crucial with his spin
