Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi Predictions: PSL2021 5th Match Preview

In the 5th match of this year’s PSL, We have a battle between two teams that are currently in the lower half of the table, and were both knocked out in last year’s playoff stages. The Sultans will probably be the more demoralized of the two despite having lost by a much smaller margin because they all but had their game in the bag. That being said, there were a few good performances that will act like silver linings. The Zalmi on the other hand were subpar at best with the bat, and only reasonably good with the ball. They have a lot to fix about their team - especially that thin batting lineup. Both teams would love to bounce back as much as they would hate to fall further behind, so expect a vicious struggle. Before the claws dig in, let’s take a look at the two teams.

Multan Sultans 

Predicted XI

Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Shan Masood, Chris Lynn, James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Khushdil Shah, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Carlos Brathwaite, Shahnawaz Dhani, Usman Qadir.

Preview and form

Despite being led by the magnetic Mohammad Rizwan, the Sultans looked far from the dominant force they were last season in their first match. Batting first against Islamabad United, Rizwan played a solid captain’s knock of 71 from 53, but the only support he got came in the form of two 20-something cameos from Rilee Rossouw and Carlos Brathwaite. Defending an average 150, Shahid Afridi’s two wickets and a run out, combined with Carlos Brathwaite’s two-for and Khushdil Shah’s solitary wicket saw the Sultans this close to victory, but it was snatched from them by a brilliant solo performance, and they lost by 3 wickets with an over to spare.

Key players

Mohammad Rizwan: Given his form, it’s impossible to keep him out of this list.

Chris Lynn: Lynn may have started weakly, but he almost always comes back strong from such setbacks.

Shahid Afridi: It will be a cold day in hell when Afridi stops taking wickets.

Carlos Brathwaite: After a great performance in the first match with both bat and ball, we think Brathwaite will have more to show.

Peshawar Zalmi

Predicted XI

Wahab Riaz (c), Kamran Akmal (wk), Imam-ul-Haq, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Ravi Bopara, Sherfane Rutherford, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Saqib Mahmood, Amad Butt, Mohammad Imran.

Preview and form

With a stark lack of full-time batsmen in the lineup, the Zalmi need to reach deep into their bag of tricks to make a good run this year. Nevertheless, they were lucky to have the 3-day quarantine order for coach Darren Sammy and captain Wahab Riaz rescinded. In their first match, they lost 3 wickets very quickly against the Lahore Qalandars. The slow recovery meant that Ravi Bopara’s 50 and smaller contributions from Shoaib Malik, Sherfane Rutherford, and Amad Butt could only get PZ to 140. Defending the small total, Wahab Riaz and Saqib Mahmood took 2 each to keep things interesting, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman was also decent. However, it just wasn’t enough, and the Zalmi lost by 4 wickets with 9 deliveries to go.

Key players

Ravi Bopara: Although he was slower than he needed to be, Bopara was one of the few decent batsmen for the Zalmi.

Sherfane Rutherford: The West Indian packs a punch when he finds his footing.

Wahab Riaz: Experience is never overrated, as Wahab proves every other time.

Saqib Mahmood: The English fast bowler seems to enjoy bowling in the country where he has ancestry from.

Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi weather conditions and pitch report

As has been usual, a slight chance of a bit of precipitation is the only thing that detracts from otherwise ideal cricketing conditions. 

As the batsmen start finding their groove on this tricky Karachi pitch, they will be able to exploit the pace it offers. Expect scores of 160 and more to be common fare, and fast bowlers to take more wickets than spinners.

Can the Sultans take inspiration from their last campaign to get back to winning ways? Or will the Zalmi’s tenacity get them a much-needed first win? Find out if our Multan Sultans versus Peshawar Zalmi predictions come true on Tuesday!