Shadab Khan’s Islamabad United is in the third spot right now with three victories in five games whereas Karachi Kings have just won two matches and would look for a comeback in this upcoming battle.
The previous encounter between the duo was a remarkable one where the United chased down the target of 174 with 10 balls to spare. It was a terrific display from the team, thanks to Colin Munro’s quickfire 58 and Azam Khan’s 44 off just 28 deliveries.
On the other hand, Karachi Kings failed to impress with their bowling as all their specialists went for runs against the United. The batting, however, was impressive with Haider Ali and Sharjeel Khan scoring runs for the team. Currently, the Kings are in the fourth spot with four points but they have to win on a consecutive basis to keep themselves safe.
Here’s a look at the preview and prediction of the match:
What have they done so far?
Apart from their last encounter which was a terrible defeat, Islamabad United has been good so far with three wins out of five battles. The victories came against Karachi Kings, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators to date whereas the loss came against Mulan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars.
Shadab Khan in action in one of the games in the ongoing edition of PSL
The match against the Qalandars was a one-sided affair that did not go their way as they suffered a traumatic defeat by 110 runs. Both departments failed to contribute which led to this huge loss and affected their NRR.
Even by being in the top three, their net run rate is negative. The United need a couple of big victories to balance their rate going forward in the tournament.
On the other hand, Karachi Kings won their last match against Multan Sultans by a huge margin of 66 runs. This was their second victory of the tournament which was much-needed after three straight losses in the beginning.
Some bad luck did not allow them to grab victories in tight games on three occasions, otherwise, the table could have been different. Now, their focus would be on winning games from here to keep them at least in the top three.
Head to Head Record
Two of the most popular teams in the PSL, Islamabad United and Karachi Kings, have faced each other 19 times where the United won 13 matches and Karachi could only win 6 battles.
This is not impressive for all the fans of Karachi Kings but they have the potential to overcome this record in future. On the other hand, the United are set to beat the Kings again to make this record even better.
Key Players
Shadab Khan: One of the finest all-rounders in limited overs cricket, Shadab Khan has the majority of the responsibility on his shoulders to give Islamabad United a PSL title this time. With 6 wickets in the tournament so far, Shadab has not been at his very best but the leggie has always been crucial for his side in tough situations.
The extra pressure of leading the side is clearly visible on Shadab, however, so far he has managed it well. A victory for his side in this game will increase the chances of Islamabad qualifying for the playoffs.
Shoaib Malik: Age is just a number for this cricketer as he is still proving to be a match-winner for his team. In the recent encounter against Multan Sultans, Malik bowled beautifully with 3 wickets for just 16 runs that helped them win the encounter. He is one of the important players on the side that can take Karachi out of this tough situation.
Shoaib Malik has been in terrific form for Karachi Kings in PSL 8
So far, Malik has scored 174 runs in the tournament and would like to contribute in the same way in the upcoming games. He will be one of the key players in the game to watch out for.
Predicted XIs
Islamabad United: Colin Munro, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Shadab Khan ©, Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Tom Curran, Hasan Ali, Zeeshan Zameer, Abrar Ahmed
Karachi Kings: Matthew Wade (wk), James Vince, Tayyab Tahir, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim ©, Ben Cutting, Irfan Khan, Aamer Yamin, Muhammad Musa, Tabraiz Shamsi, Akif Javed
Prediction
With the kind of record Islamabad United has against Karachi Kings, it is very difficult for the Kings to beat United, especially at this stage. Shadab & Co. are in good form and would look to dismantle the Kings here. On paper, both squads are well-settled but Karachi Kings need to perform collectively to beat Islamabad.
Keeping in mind the current situation, Shadab’s Islamabad is looking favorite to win this clash. If they would win this one, the chances of reaching the playoffs would be easier for them.