In the current Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, two past champions, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, will face off in the 22nd match of the competition. Both teams will be trying to eliminate any ifs and buts on their road to the playoffs.
Both clubs have six points from seven games, but the Gladiators have a better net run rate (NRR) than Zalmi and are now in fourth place in the point standings.
The Zalmi, on the other hand, will enter the game with a victory after defeating the Karachi Kings in their last encounter, while the Gladiators were defeated by the Lahore Qalandars in their last game at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
When the Gladiators take on Zalmis today, skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed will be hoping to avenge their loss to Qalandars.
His side was greatly depending on the batting form of Jason Roy and James Vince – both were out cheaply against Qalandars and Gladiators wouldn’t want to replicate the same predicament against Zalmi.
The Karachi Kings have been eliminated from the playoffs with a score of 0 points.
Iftekhar Ahmed’s comeback will instil confidence in the Quetta Gladiators’ dugout. From a bowling standpoint, Sarfaraz and Moin Khan have nothing to be concerned about, but nevertheless, they will need some runs from batsmen in order for bowlers to defend easily.
After losing Hasnain and Luke Wood, the Quetta Gladiators have added left-arm bowler Mohammad Irfan to their roster. They will also be without Ben Duckett for the remainder of the PSL, but this is unlikely to have a significant impact on the Gladiators’ approach.
On the other hand, Zalmi will be confident following a 55-run win against Karachi Kings on Sunday, but Wahab Riaz will remember that Gladiators are not Kings, and there won’t be many dot balls on the power-play if Jason Roy, Ahsan Ali, and James Vince are not removed sooner.
Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United have released a player update.
In a power play situation, he would undoubtedly want Zalmi’s bowling team to not allow too many runs to be scored.
Hazratullah Zazai’s present form, as well as that of youngster Mohammad Haris, will bolster Zalmi’s dugout confidence.
Given the lineups of both sides and the weather in Lahore, a high-scoring contest is expected in the stadium on Tuesday evening.
At 7:30 p.m. tonight, Peshawar Zalmi will face the Quetta Gladiators at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Jason Roy and Mohammad Harris are two players to keep an eye on.
Wahab Riaz, Liam Livingstone, Shoaib Malik, Sherfane Rutherford, Haider Ali, Saqib Mahmood, Hussain Talat, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Qadir, Salman Irshad, Ammad Butt, Sameen Gul, Kamran Akmal, Sirajuddin, Mohammad Nabi
