HBL PSL2020: United face Kings in do or die contest

• Match 26 of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be played at National Stadium, Karachi.
• United will be without services of four foreign players and a trainer in the tournament.

Islamabad United are all set to face Karachi Kings in a must win game at the National Stadium Karachi here on Saturday.

In order to stay in hunt for the semifinal spot, United must win today’s clash against the hosts. They secure seven points after playing nine games in the tournament so far.

Victory in today’s game means they still have to wait for the outcome of the clash between Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators, and Multan Sultans versus Lahore Qalandars.

Yesterday’s (Friday) clash between Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi, opened up the whole tournament. Sultan secured top spot which means they will play fourth team on the points table on March 17 in Lahore.

Meanwhile, Zalim, who fell three-run short from direct qualification, will be waiting for the outcome of remaining three games, starting today. Currently they sit on third position on the table with nine points.

Both the defending champions Quetta Gladiators, who are at sixth spot on the table, and Islamabad United can finish at nine points each if they win their last game. They have to face Karachi Kings, who are at the second spot on the table.

Meanwhile, Lahore Qalandars, who are at the fourth spot on the table, will have to win their last game against the table toppers. They have eight points from nine games so far.

Back on to today’s game, Islamabad will be missing services of their foreign stars, who left for their native countries amid flight operation concern due to coronavirus outbreak globally.

United players Colin Munro, Dale Steyn, Dawid Malan and Luke Ronchi and trainer Corey Rutgers will not take any further part in the tournament.

Without their overseas players, United will have a mountain to climb against the Kings, who will also be missing services of Englishmen Alex Hales.

The match will start at 7 PM PST in Karachi.

Squads:

Karachi Kings: Imad Wasim (captain), Babar Azam,) Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Umaid Asif, Cameron Delport (South Africa), Sharjeel Khan, Arshad Iqbal, Chris Jordan (England), Ali Khan, Umar Khan, Usama Mir, Mitchell McClenaghan (New Zealand), Chadwick Walton (West Indies), Aamir Yamin, Awais Zia

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Amad Butt, Musa Khan, Colin Ingram (South Africa), Rumman Raees, Rizwan Hussain, Phil Salt (England), Zafar Gohar, Saif Badar, Akif Javed, Ahmed Safi Abdullah.