Peshawar Zalmi come in with an 8W-1L record and a +1.852 net run rate. Islamabad United are 6W-3L with a +1.412 net run rate. PZ lost their last game by 6 wickets after scoring 199/4, while ISU won their last game by 4 wickets after chasing 193/6 vs 192/7.
Toss & Conditions
Head-to-Head
Islamabad United lead the last three head-to-head meetings 2-1, including a 102-run win on 2025-04-14.
Peshawar Zalmi
PZ are 8W-1L with a +1.852 NRR. In their last three, they beat QG by 118 runs (255/3 vs 137), beat KRK by 7 wickets (186/3 vs 182/9), then lost to LQ by 6 wickets (199/4 vs 200/4).
Islamabad United
ISU are 6W-3L with a +1.412 NRR. In their last three, they lost to Rawalpindiz by 6 wickets (137 all out vs 140/4), then beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by 8 wickets (83/2 vs 80 all out) and beat Multan Sultans by 4 wickets (193/6 vs 192/7).
Playing XI
मुख्य आँकड़े
Prediction
Key Stats lean ISU 3-2, driven by H2H (2-1 in the last three) plus better powerplay economy (7.2 vs 8.0) and mid-overs economy (8.0 vs 8.1), while PZ lead on NRR (+1.85 vs +1.41) and Elo (1616 vs 1553). Models are unanimous for PZ, with a 62% average (ML 56%, AI1 64%, AI2 63%, Math 64%). Bookmakers price PZ at 47% (2.02) vs ISU 53% (1.81), so the call hinges on whether PZ’s NRR/Elo edge outweighs ISU’s recent H2H and tighter early/middle-overs economy.
Babar’s hundred sets the tone
Babar Azam turned a good start into a match-winning statement, pacing a 59-ball 103 that left Islamabad United chasing shadows and Peshawar Zalmi cruising to a 70-run win. The decisive moment came when Babar, already in full flow, launched Shadab Khan for back-to-back boundaries to bring up his hundred and push Zalmi beyond 200, a total that immediately felt one step too far on the night.
Middle overs collapse flips chase
Islamabad’s chase was alive at 64/1 in the powerplay, but the game broke open in the middle overs: 71/7 at 7.1 an over. Hardie’s 3/24 was the key squeeze, using hard lengths and cutters to turn a platform into panic, while Mohammad Basit’s 2/19 kept the pressure constant. From the point Conway and Sameer Minhas added 58, wickets fell in clusters, and the required rate ballooned beyond control.
Babar, Hardie define outcome
Babar’s innings was the anchor and the accelerator, and the 84-run stand with Kusal Mendis (41 off 26) ensured Zalmi never had to rebuild. Hardie then delivered the knockout blows in the chase, removing set batters and shutting down the release shots. Even Shadab’s 3/42 couldn’t claw back control once Zalmi’s total crossed the psychological 220 mark.
Pre-game edges didn’t survive
Islamabad came in with the profile of a tighter side early and through the middle, and their powerplay with the ball often keeps them in games. But Zalmi’s top order flipped that script by racing to 68 without loss, forcing United into defensive fields and riskier match-ups. Once Zalmi had that runway, their stronger recent scoring momentum and depth at the back end mattered more than the head-to-head trend.

