Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi Prediction: Teams occupy third & fourth place in PSL

Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi are going head to head in the 20th Match of Pakistan Super League at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, Pakistan on 04 Mar 2024. The teams occupy the third and fourth place in the PSL table. Who will win this game of cricket?

Islamabad's 2024 PSL campaign started off with a win against the Lahore Qalandars followed by three consecutive losses. However, they redeemed themselves with a victory over the Karachi Kings and a washout against the Quetta Gladiators. It will be interesting to see how they perform in their upcoming matches.

Agha Salman has been the standout batsman for Islamabad this season, accumulating 188 runs in five innings with an impressive average of over 60 and a strike rate exceeding 150. Supported by Colin Munro, Salman has showcased his talent as a local player.

In terms of bowling, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan have been the top performers for Islamabad United. Shah has been bowling with speed and aggression, picking up seven wickets in five matches. Khan, known for his leg-spinning skills, has already taken six wickets in this year's PSL.

Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Jordan Cox, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, Rumman Raees

Zalmi's season in the Pakistan Super League began with losses to the Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators, but they were able to bounce back with three consecutive victories. Their match against the Qalandars ended in a washout. Despite this, Zalmi is still in the running for the title and another win would strengthen their chances of making it to the play-offs.

Babar Azam has been in exceptional form this season, scoring 330 runs in five innings with an impressive average of 82.50 and a strike rate over 150. He has proven himself as one of the top batters in Pakistan.

Arif Yaqoob and Salman Irshad have also performed well with the ball, taking eight and seven wickets respectively. Luke Wood, the English seamer, has also taken seven wickets in the tournament. This bowling trio will be crucial in the upcoming match. Naveen-ul-Haq is another talented seamer for Zalmi to watch out for.

Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Rovman Powell, Asif Ali, Paul Walter, Luke Wood, Naveen-ul-Haq, Arif Yaqoob, Salman Irshad

The upcoming match will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium where the trend in T20I cricket has been for winning teams to choose to field first after winning the toss. It is likely that the same strategy will be employed in this match.

A competitive first-innings score at this venue is typically 160-plus. It is advisable to include two specialist slow bowlers in the playing XI and consider opening the bowling with one of them. The rain that affected the PSL double-header in Rawalpindi earlier in the week is expected to have cleared up in time for this game. In the event of a shortened match due to bad weather, the team chasing a revised target may benefit.

Peshawar Zalmi are favored to win over Islamabad United in this match due to their current momentum and deeper batting lineup.