The Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi are going to face each other in the 16th fixture of the Pakistan Super League's (PSL) third edition in Dubai on Tuesday.
The performance of both franchises have almost been equal on the points table, with each team having played five matches and won three.
However, the Sultans have a slight edge over the Zalmi ─ they've lost just one match compared to Zalmi's two losses. A match between the Sultans and the Karachi Kings at Sharjah was called off on account of rain.
The Sultans may also retain a psychological edge over the Zalmi because of their performance in the opening match of the tournament in which the Shoaib Malik-led side sent shockwaves through the PSL defending champions, inflicting a seven-wicket defeat on the side led by Darren Sammy.
The Sultans are on the top of the points table with seven points, whereas the Zalmi stand at third place with six points.
The Multan Sultans, a recent addition to the PSL roster, have had a fine start to the tournament under Malik’s leadership. Coached and mentored by Tom Moody and Wasim Akram, they have continued to impress everyone and seem like they might be the dark horse this season. On the other hand, the Zalmi are trying their best to defend their title as PSL champs.
Given the performance of both teams, it would be hard to predict who will shine in today's match ─ but given both teams' past performance, it seems like it'll be a tough one.
Multan Sultans
Shoaib Maik (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Sohaib Maqsood, Abdullah Shafiq, Darren Bravo, Saif Badar, Umar Siddiq, Shan Masood, Sohail Tanvir, Kieron Pollard, Kashif Bhatti, Ross Whiteley, Kumar Sangakkara, Nicholas Pooran, Umar Gul, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Imran Tahir (cover: Thisara Perera), Irfan Khan, Mohammad Abbas, and Hardus Viljoen.
Peshawar Zalmi
Darren Sammy (captain), Evin Lewis, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Arif, Khushdil Shah, Taimur Sultan, Ibtisam Sheikh, Mohammad Hafeez, Shakib Al Hasan (cover: Liam Dawson ), Haris Sohail, Dwayne Bravo, Hammad Azam, Saad Nasim, Khalid Usman, Kamran Akmal, Andre Fletcher, Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Asghar, and Sameen Gul.