IU vs PZ: Injury-hit United to battle with Yellow Storm in tonight's clash

Former Champions Peshawar Zalmi will look to get one step closer to the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League's (PSL) seventh edition when they take on two-time former champions Islamabad United in match 24 of the tournament today (Thursday).

Islamabad is placed third on the points table with eight points from seven games. Zalmi also has eight points but it has played eight games and is currently placed at the fourth spot on the points table.

Zalmi will have an opportunity tonight to overpower injury-hit Islamabad United. United will be without its captain Shadab Khan who will miss the match due to a groin injury. Fast bowler Zeeshan Zamir will also miss the match while they’re also waiting on the injury of Colin Munro.

Read more: Blow to Islamabad United as players suffer injuries

Meanwhile, Alex Hales has also withdrawn himself from the tournament due to bubble fatigue which has dented United’s strength.

Aggressive batter Asif Ali is named United’s captain in absence of Shadab Khan.

However, they’ll enter the match with a nail-biting win over Karachi Kings on their back, so will Peshawar Zalmi, who defeated Quetta Gladiators before coming to this match.

Zalmi’s captain Wahab Riaz will be confident to see Hussain Talat and Shoaib Malik in form and he will surely want them to repeat the show tonight.

He will also expect some fireworks from Hazratullah Zazai before the Afghanistan batter flies out of PSL for his national duty.

Read more: Multan Sultans continue domination at points table

Both the sides have faced each other 16 times with both winnings eight each. United had won by nine wickets when both the sides had met during their first fixture in Karachi. But, both the heroes of that win — Alex Hales and Paul Stirling — will not be available tonight.

The match will take place under the lights of the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore at 7:30pm.

Players to watch: Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali

Squads:

Islamabad United: Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Azam Khan, Colin Munro, Marchant de Lange, Muhammad Akhlaq, Reece Topley, Danish Aziz, Zafar Gohar, Mubasir Khan, M. Zeeshan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ather Mehmood, Zahid Mehmood, Musa Khan, Zahir Khan, Mohammad Huraira and Liam Dawson

Peshawar Zalmi: Wahab Riaz, Liam Livingstone, Shoaib Malik, Sherfane Rutherford, Haider Ali, Hussain Talat, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Hazratullah Zazai, Usman Qadir, Salman Irshad, Ammad Butt, Sameen Gul, Kamran Akmal, Sirajuddin, Mohammad Amir Khan, Ben Cutting, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Umer, Sohail Khan, Matt Parkinson, Pat Brown.