Pakistan Super League has entered its crucial week and now things are expected to heat up. In match number 24, Islamabad United will host Karachi Kings on Thursday at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Islamabad United is currently in the 3rd spot with three wins and same number of losses. A win on Thursday will give them a major advantage and confidence to reach the playoff stage of the league.
Karachi Kings have witnessed a sudden decline in their performance. They now stand at the 5th spot in the point table with only two wins and a net run rate of -0.551.
Karachi Kings has an inferior top order and Naseem will get the benefit of that with the new ball.
The betting tip is...
Naseem Shah will pick the first wicket for Islamabad United.
Islamabad United started off their PSL 2024 campaign with a win but soon displayed inconsistency in their performance. The players have not performed as a group and hence the whole team has suffered in the league.
However, they have been lucky as they still carry chances to reach the playoff stage. Agha Salman is their leading run-scorer with 225 runs at an average of 56.25 in 6 matches.
On the bowling front, skipper Shadab Khan is leading from the front as he has picked up 9 wickets in 6 matches at an economy of 7.39. Naseem Shah is his right-hand man with 8 wickets in 6 matches at an economy of 7.67.
Shadab Khan, Agha Salman, and Naseem Shah are the key players in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Colin Munro, Alex Hales, Agha Salman, Hunain Shah, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Jordan Cox, Azam Khan, Rumman Raees, Naseem Shah
Before the beginning of PSL 2024, the Karachi Kings squad came out as one of the strongest on paper but as soon as the time came for action, they turned out to be a flop. The Kings are in a difficult situation in the league and they are in desperate need of a win.
Experience batters like Shoaib Malik and Shan Masood have failed to impress. Kieron Pollard is their highest scorer but he is doubtful to be part of the upcoming fixture.
On the bowling front, Hasan Ali has come out as the leading wicket-taker with 9 wickets in 6 matches at an economy of 9.09. Mir Hamza has picked up 6 wickets in 5 matches at an economy of 8.72.
Players like James Vince, Shan Masood and Leus du Plooy need to step up their game for a positive outcome on Thursday.
Predicted Lineup: Shan Masood, Tim Seifert, James Vince, Shoaib Malik, Leus du Plooy, Mohammad Nawaz, Irfan Khan, Hasan Ali, Zahid Mahmood, Mir Hamza, Blessing Muzarabani
Karachi Kings have a major void in their batting unit. Experienced batters have failed to score runs and similarly, the team is only dependent on Hasan Ali in the bowling unit for wickets.
Islamabad United also have their struggles in the batting lineup but their bowlers have come out as the match-winners. We predict a win for Islamabad United on Thursday.