KARACHI: The third-placed Islamabad United will take on Quetta Gladiators in the do-or-die Eliminator 1 of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 at 9 PM on Friday (today) at the National Bank Stadium.
Both teams bagged 11 points with five wins out of 10 league matches, with one game being a no-result due to rain, but United ended in the third spot of the table due to better NRR. The team losing will be knocked out, while the winners will face the loser of the Qualifier in the Eliminator 2 on March 16.
United have the winning momentum as they defeated Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings in two last games, while Rilee Rossouw-led Quetta got outclassed in their final league match. However, the 2019 PSL champions Quetta have an edge over the 2016 and 2018 PSL winners United, as they thumped them in the first stage while the second stage match got abandoned due to rain in Rawalpindi.
Colin Munro and Shadab from United, and Saud Shakeel and Jason Roy from Quetta will be the batters to watch. In bowling, the all-rounder Shadab and pacer Naseem Shah are likely to roar for the two-time winners, while spinners Akeal Hosein and Abrar Ahmed are key bowlers for Quetta.
In the batting department, United look a much more solid side, as they have Agha Salman, who can anchor the innings, while Munro, Azam Khan, Shadab, Alex Hales and Faheem Ashraf are among the aggressive batters.
All-rounder Imad Wasim also proved handy for United during the thrilling encounter against the Sultans. But Munro, having 309 runs under his belt, is doubtful for the clash due to a hamstring injury. Quetta has lacked a reliable batter as only Saud, with 323 runs, has been a consistent performer for them. Suad has proved to be the rock of Quetta’s batting, not just anchoring the inning but also bringing aggressive shots to his naturally traditional batting.
His opening partner Roy has scored 258 runs in 10 matches, while Khawaja Nafay, Roussow and Sherfane Rutherford have been inconsistent. In the bowling department, Quetta seem to have an edge over Islamabad, with Mohammad Amir being the upfront pacer forming a pair with Wasim, but they haven’t been at their consistent best.
The spin-combo of Akeal and Abrar will be threatening on the spin-friendly surface of Karachi, as Akeal bowls wicket-to-wicket in the middle phase, while Abrar, with 15 scalps, is a genuine wicket-taker.
TODAY’S FIXTURE
United vs Gladiators
9:00pm PST
