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ISLAMABAD UNITED VS. MULTAN SULTANS: PAK T20 LEAGUE 2021, MATCH 3 | PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS

In the second match of the doubleheader Sunday in the Pak T20 League 2021, 2-time champions Islamabad United take on Multan Sultans at the National Stadium in Karachi on Sunday evening. 

Islamabad United finished at the bottom of the points table last year for the first time in their history. They only managed to win 3 games last season and will be looking for a better start this season.

Missing 4 of their top 5 run scorers this time around, the team will be expecting a good show from their new set of players like A Hales, P Stirling, and P Salt. Moreover, they have a really strong group of local players, led by S Khan. Players like F Ashraf, H Talat, I Ahmed, A Ali, and H Ali need to perform much better than they did last year.

Multan Sultans fell short of making it to the final in the last season as they lost to Lahore Qalandars in the second Eliminator. Not many of their players managed to contribute in the last season so they will be looking for an all-round improvement this time around. 

As the new skipper of the Sultans, M Rizwan has a huge responsibility of leading all the big names in his team. The batting line-up has been boosted by the signing of C Lynn, who will add serious firepower to the team. In the middle order, S Masood, J Vince, and K Shah will need to do the bulk of the scoring. S Tanvir and S Khan, along with the spin duo of I Tahir and U Qadie, make up a strong bowling line-up.  

With two evenly-matched teams having a lot of batting and bowling firepower, expect this to be an entertaining clash to finish the doubleheader Sunday at Karachi.

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Match Details

  • Match: Islamabad United vs. Multan Sultans, Match 3
  • Venue: National Stadium, Karachi
  • Date & Time: Feb. 21, 2021, at 7.30 PM IST

Probable Playing XI

Islamabad United

A Hales, P Stirling, P Salt, A Ali, H Talat, R Nazir (WK), F Ashraf, L Gregory, S Khan (C), M Musa, H Ali 

Multan Sultans

M Rizwan (C & WK), C Lynn, S Masood, J Vince, K Shah, S Afridi, C Braithwaite, S Tanvir, I Tahir, U Qadir, S Khan

Pitch & Weather Report

The weather is expected to be clear in Karachi during the match. The temperature will be around 24 degrees during the game.

The pitch at the National Stadium is a good batting wicket, with batsmen being able to hit through the line. Fast bowlers will have a tough time on this surface, getting little to no movement from the pitch. Spinners will get help from the surface as the ball tends to spin sharply here. The average score in the last five T20 games played here has been 155 runs.

With dew coming down as the match progresses, expect the captain winning the toss to opt to bowl first. A score of around 180 runs should be a competitive one here.

Key Players

  • A Hales was the leading run scorer in the recently-concluded Aus T20 League, with 543 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 161.6. He has a lot of T20 experience and can win games with the bat consistently. 
  • P Stirling possesses a good T20 record and has been in excellent form in recent international matches. He scored 3 centuries in five innings on the slow tracks of the UAE. He will be looking to continue in the same form here. 
  • S Khan has achieved great all-round success in the shortest form of the game with his leg spin and decent batting abilities. Last season, he picked up 8 wickets and scored 263 runs in eight matches. 
  • M Rizwan is in the form of his life at the moment. He backed up his maiden Test century with an excellent T20I series against South Africa at home, scoring 197 runs in three matches at an average of 98.5. Expect him to score a big knock here too. 
  • J Vince is coming from an outstanding Aus T20 League campaign, having scored 537 runs in 16 matches. He scored consecutive 90s in his last two games to win his team the trophy. He will be looking to continue his brilliant form here too.
  • U Qadir was impressive in the T20I series against South Africa, taking 4 wickets in three matches. He has troubled batsmen in the past with his variations and speed, and can take wickets in crucial situations.  

Howzat Dream Team

  • Wicketkeeper: M Rizwan
  • Batsmen: A Hales, P Stirling, J Vince, K Shah 
  • All-rounders: F Ashraf, S Khan, C Brathwaite
  • Bowlers: H Ali, S Tanvir, U Qadir
  • Captain: M Rizwan/J Vince
  • Vice Captain: A Hales/S Khan 

NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own fantasy 11, and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.

Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!

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