PSL 2021, Eliminator 2 Preview: Steady Peshawar, vulnerable Islamabad chase finale spot
Hazratullah Zazai was on a rampage once again against Karachi Kings during the Eliminator 1 on Monday night in Abu Dhabi. The left-handed batsman’s 38-ball 77 anchored Peshawar Zalmi to a win by 5 wickets as the side chased down a stiff target of 176 in 19.5 overs. Peshawar will now lock horns with Islamabad United in the Eliminator 2 on Tuesday and the winner will march in the final of the tournament. The side that emerges victorious in this game will be up against Multan Sultans in the title clash. Well, Peshawar batsmen showed some grit against the Kings to help the side win this all important encounter. Another positive that came from this match for Zalmi was that Shoaib Malik chipped in with some valuable runs during the course. The right-hander struck 30 off 25 including a couple of boundaries and a six and more importantly spent some considerable amount of time in the middle as well. In the bowling department, captain Wahab Riaz and experienced campaigner Mohammad Irfan returned with some impressive figures while the other bowlers were hit for some runs. Wahab just gave 29 runs in his 4 overs and picked up two wickets, Irfan bagged a couple at the cost of just 21 runs in his allotted 4 overs. This was another positive that the Wahab Riaz-led side took away from this game. The Peshawar team at the moment looks pretty steady but the bowlers apart from Wahab and Irfan need to be cautious about the run flow. If the bowling unit manages to keep things tight, the side can restrict the opposition for a low total. On the other hand, Islamabad United have another chance of making it to the final. Islamabad were up against Multan Sultans who defeated them by 31 runs and registered a place for themselves in the final. Chasing 181 in 20 overs, Islamabad’s batting unit failed miserably barring Usman Khawaja. In-form batsman Colin Munro’s golden duck created some concerns while none of the other batsmen really got into the groove. They were eventually bundled out for 149. In the bowling department, it was Hasan Ali who was economical but didn’t pick up any wickets while captain Shadab Khan returned with figures of 2/25 in 4 overs. The United side didn’t really have a great outing against Multan and the team management needs to fix the glitches before going into the Eliminator 2. Looking at the last two encounters between the two sides in the league stage, both the teams have etched a win each. While Zalmi bowlers rattled the Islamabad batting unit in the first match during the Karachi leg of the edition and bundled them out for 118 to eventually win the match by 6 wickets, Islamabad rode on a hundred from Khawaja to post a mammoth 247/2 in 20 overs in the second leg. The United bowlers though were hit for some runs but eventually won it by 15 runs. Match Details Match: Islamabad United vs Peshawar Zalmi, Eliminator 2 Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2021 Timings: 9:30 pm (IST) Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Pitch report The pitches in Abu Dhabi have been a bit slow and surely have something on offer to the spinners but the evening games do provide an advantage to the batsmen as there is dew factor that comes into play. In the last match between Zalmi and Karachi, the team that was chasing the target successfully went after it. So, the team that wins the toss could bowl first in this match as well. Team News Peshawar Zalmi: Peshawar Zalmi were without the services of three players, David Miller, Fidel Edwards and Fabian Allen as they had to depart from the competition for national duties. All the three players will feature in the T20I series between West Indies and South Africa in the Caribbean islands. But the Zalmi side has found a lethal striker of the ball in Zazai. In the brief stint with the franchise in this edition of the PSL, the left-handed batsman has already notched up a couple of fifties in three matches and has helped the team get a brisk start. Moreover, the presence of someone like Shoaib Malik in the line up also adds to the strength. The experience that Malik has at the highest level is impeccable and the right-hander is an asset to the team which he showed in the last game. But the one thing that the Zalmi think tank needs to take care of is the bowling attack. There have been instances where the bowlers have been hit for runs all around the park. In their match against Karachi, the efforts from Wahab and Irfan were nullified after the other bowlers were taken on and were smacked for runs especially in the later stage of the innings. However, the kind of experienced players that Peshawar have, they look pretty sorted at the moment. Islamabad United: Islamabad United would be under a fair bit of pressure coming into this match especially after the way they played in the Eliminator 1 against Multan Sultans. The bowling is surely a major cause of concern for them at the moment while the middle-order didn’t really fire when it was most required. Colin Munro though has been among runs for the side, he failed to go all guns blazing in an important fixture for the team. Well, the amount of cricket that he has played, Munro would have the understanding of how important it is for him to give a steady start to the team. Usman Khawaja is one player in Islamabad ranks who doesn’t really need to tweak anything. He has been in some form in the last couple of matches and needs to stick to the basics and what he has been doing for sometime now. Probable XI Peshawar Zalmi: Kamran Akmal, Hazratullah Zazai, Imam ul Haq, Shoaib Malik, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Khalid Usman, Wahab Riaz, Umaid Asif, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Irfan. Islamabad United: Colin Munro, Usman Khawaja, Mohammad Akhlaq, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali, Akif Javed. Fantasy XI Usman Khawaja, Hazratullah Zazai (C), Shoaib Malik (VC) , Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Umaid Asif, Mohammad Imran, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Wasim Jr
 "Somya Kapoor")
