Key match-ups, analysis, form, team news, weather forecast, tickets, TV and streaming information, odds, predictions and more ahead of the latest encounter in the 2023 PSL
Islamabad United take on the Quetta Gladiators in the next match in the PSL8.
The match is scheduled to start at 7pm local time (2pm GMT) on Sunday, March 5.
The game is being hosted at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Islamabad United start the game in third with four wins and two defeats from their six matches.
They come into the game off the back of a dramatic victory over Karachi Kings thanks to Azam Khan's inspired 72 not out.
Quetta Gladiators are already struggling in the race for the playoffs having claimed just a single win from their first half a dozen games.
And ominously they were thumped by United in the first meeting between these sides earlier in the campaign, going down by 63 runs in Karachi.
There can be little doubt about the stand-out batter of the PSL thus far, with Azam Khan having swept aside all before him in the opening weeks of the PSL.
In between blitzing 44 and an unbeaten 72 in both games against Karachi Kings, he struck a sublime 97 in the last meeting with Gladiators towards the end of February.
As Mohammad Nawaz, Odean Smith, Naseem Shah and Ajmal Khan were sent to the boundary Iftikhar Ahmed appeared to have some success early in Khan's innings.
A combination of full deliveries into his legs limited the 24-year-old to just two singles from the four deliveries faced.
Iftikhar has only been thrown the ball in two of Gladiators' six matches, returning an economy rate of 4.66 from his three overs, but Sarfaraz Ahmed might be tempted to return to the Pakistan allrounder in an effort to stem the flow of runs.
Azam Khan has looked unstoppable at stages this season (AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)
United hope to welcome back Mohammad Wasim after a bout of illness. Zeeshan Zameer is missing with a grade one quad tear. Tymal Mills has already been ruled out of the tournament.
Gladiators will hope Mohammad Hasnain, who sat out the defeat to Lahore Qalandars, is fit to return after an ankle problem. They are already without Jason Roy, Wanindu Hasaranga and Will Jacks while Odean Smith's spell is soon coming to an end.
Islamabad United: Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Alex Hales (withdrew due to Covid fatigue, replaced by Nasir Nawaz), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Azam Khan, Paul Stirling, Colin Munro, Marchant de Lange, Muhammad Akhlaq, Reece Topley, Danish Aziz, Zafar Gohar, Mubasir Khan, M. Zeeshan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (joined up with Afghanistan, replaced by Will Jacks), Ather Mehmood, Zahid Mehmood
Quetta Gladiators: Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Jason Roy, Mohammad Hasnain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Naveen ul Haq, Umar Akmal, Will Smeed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Naseem Shah, Odean Smith, Mohammad Hafeez, Umaid Asif, Muhammad Zahid, Abdul Bangalzai, Aimal Khan, Martin Guptill, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qais Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Dwaine Pretorius (partial replacement for Odean Smith), Will Jacks (partial replacement for Jason Roy), Nuwan Thushara (partial replacement for Naveen ul Haq)
*squads are for the overall competition and not specific to this match
Islamabad United: Colin Munro, Alex Hales, Rassie van der Dussen, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mubasir Khan, Tom Curran, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees
Quetta Gladiators: Yasir Khan, Will Smeed, Martin Guptill, Mohammad Hafeez, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Nawaz, Odean Smith, Sarfraz Ahmed, Naveen-ul-Haq, Muhammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah
A clear and pleasant evening awaits both sets of players with temperatures sitting at around 21 degrees Celsius at the start of play.
Iftikhar Ahmed (Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Islamabad United start as favourites with bookmakers Paddy Power at 8/15. Quetta Gladiators are the rank outsiders at 6/4.
United's return to form comes at a good time and Gladiators are likely to be their next victims.
Cricket fans in Pakistan will be able to watch PSL8 on A Sports, PTV Sports and TEN Sports on TV. Streamed matches will be available on Daraz App, tapmadTV and Tamasha.
Viewers around the world can watch the action live on Fox Sports (Australia), Sony (South Asia outside Pakistan), Willow TV (North America), Flow Sports (Caribbean), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), Sky Sport (New Zealand), Super Sport (sub-Saharan Africa) and, Etisalat and STARZPLAY (Mena).
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