Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators, June 11, PSL 2021 Match Prediction

Match: Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators

Date: 11 June 2021

Place (venue): Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Tournament: Pakistan Super League, 2021

Format: T20

Caption

Can Islamabad United make a clean sweep against Quetta Gladiators this season?

Key Stats 

• Islamabad United are currently 3rd on the points table with 6 points from 4 matches, while Quetta Gladiators are at the bottom of the table with 2 points from 5 matches.
• In the last five meetings, Gladiators have beaten United four times.
• The two-time PSL winner Islamabad United are tournament favourites after a forgetful PSL 2020 season.

Match Preview

After a long battle of logistical difficulties and pending approvals, the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League is set to kick off on 9 June at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Two-time PSL winners Islamabad United are set to take on one-time champions Quetta Gladiators on Friday. Gladiators and United finished their last season 5th and 6th respectively. United have managed to turn the table with three victories from four games, whereas Gladiators are still sinking at the bottom after four losses from 5 matches played.

Just before the restart, Islamabad United signed West Indies opener Brandon King and left-handed Pakistani international Umar Amin to complete the 20-player squad. They will be missing both openers, Paul Stirling and Alex Hales. Quetta Gladiators though hit with controversies as their pacer Naseem Shah was found guilty of violating the Covid-19 protocol. The PCB released Shah from the PSL 2021 only to make a U-turn after a meeting with the franchise. He will join the squad after separate isolation. Another Gladiators’ bowler Anwar Ali tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the chartered flight that leaves for the UAE. The only good news in the camp is that West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell is set to join Gladiators in the UAE. Gladiators have also signed Jack Wildermuth, Jake Weatherald (both from Australia), Zahir Khan (Afghanistan) and Khurram Shehzad (Pakistan) to complete their squad.

Islamabad United have finally emerged victorious this season after losing the last 4 matches in a row against Gladiators. United chased the target of 157 runs set by QG with 6 wickets in hand. United openers Paul Stirling and Alex Hales put a partnership of 76 runs in 6 overs to help their team chase the target in the 17th over.

Islamabad United Preview

Islamabad United will be looking to start with a new opening pair as they lost Paul Stirling to international duties and Alex Hales to Vitality T20. Rohail Nazir and Usman Khawaja have been looked at as their perfect replacements. Islamabad United is currently scoring 10.33 runs per over in the powerplay, 2.21 more than the tournament average. Nevertheless, whether they continue to pull this, remains a million-dollar question. Colin Munro will be taking the no.3 position.

The middle order of United has not clicked yet. United management will be expecting Captain Shadab Khan to step up in the absence of the key players. The slow average of 6.97 in the middle overs might prove costly for United if the problem is not dealt with.

Hasan Ali will be the key to the United bowling attack. He has taken 6 wickets in his first 4 matches. His partnership with Faheem Ashraf has helped United to reduce the run rate of the opposite side.

Here are the top batsmen and bowlers for Islamabad United.

Key players for Islamabad United (based on availability for the second leg): 

Islamabad United’s Probable Playing XI: Shadab Khan (c), Rohail Nazir (wk), Usman Khawaja, Colin Munro, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Muhammad Musa.

Quetta Gladiators Preview

All is not well in the Quetta quadrant. It can be clearly seen that skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed has been solely carrying the weight of his team on his shoulders. Ahmed has scored 185 runs at a strike rate of 146.82. Closest to his performance is Azam Khan with 98 runs at a strike rate of 144.11. The Gladiators management will be glad about the addition of Faf du Plessis and Andre Russell in the second phase. The destructive option influenced by the addition of these two has raised the hopes of Gladiators to qualify for the playoffs.

Quetta pacers are currently at the bottom of the performance checklists. Their economy rate is 9.91 with a strike rate of 24.6. They have picked only 5 wickets in the powerplay. Their death over economy rate is 12.34. This clearly suggests the need for improvement in the bowling unit. Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Hasnain and Naseem Shah have a big responsibility of proving themselves in the absence of Dale Steyn. The inclusion of Brisbane Heat pacer Wildermuth has given the squad some relief.

Key players for Quetta Gladiators:

Quetta Gladiators’ Probable Playing XI

Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk), Faf du Plessis, Andre Russell, Jake Weatherald, Saim Ayub, Jack Wildermuth, Azam Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah.

Venue

The game will be played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. The stadium was one of the three venues selected by the BCCI last season to conduct the IPL. The stadium has a capacity of 20,000 spectators.

Toss Info

Out of 47 T20 games played here, the team batting first has won 22 times while chasing has been proven fruitful on 25 occasions. Based on the recent results, the team winning the toss should bat first.

Pitch and Weather Report

The pitch is dry and favours spinners. The maximum and minimum temperatures are predicted to be 38°C and 31 °C respectively, with a wind speed of 15 to 30 kph. Humidity will be around 50-70% as per the weather reports. No rain is expected.

Our Prediction

The T20 games between United and Gladiators are always nail-biting. In 12 head-to-head matches, Gladiators have managed to triumph 7 times. The addition of Russell and Du Plessis have given Gladiators a much-required booster.

Prediction: Quetta Gladiators will defeat Islamabad United.

Disclaimer: Our match previews are fully researched but as per the nature of the game, anything is possible on the match day. You are advised to decide for yourself when betting on a team. Thanks!