Islamabad look to maintain perfect record against struggling Sultans

LAHORE: The Multan Cricket Stadium sets the stage for a compelling clash as the winless Multan Sultans desperately seek to revive their campaign against the undefeated defending champions, Islamabad United. This 13th match of PSL 2025 on April 23rd promises an intriguing battle between a team searching for form and another riding a wave of confidence.

Multan Sultans, last season’s table-toppers and runners-up, find themselves at odds as they linger at the bottom of the points table after losing their first three matches. Their batting unit has particularly struggled, failing to chase targets in consecutive games despite captain Mohammad Rizwan’s valiant efforts (158 runs in three innings).

Meanwhile, Islamabad United have been nothing short of spectacular, winning all four of their matches to sit comfortably atop the standings with 8 points. Their balanced squad is clicking in all departments, boasting both the tournament’s leading run-scorer and wicket-taker.

Mohammad Rizwan, the captain has been a lone warrior and boasts an impressive record against United with 444 runs in 15 innings, including four half-centuries. Whereas, Usama Mir, despite a costly spell in the last match, he was last season’s leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets and has historically performed well against United with 15 wickets in 13 matches and they would be hoping to continue their efforts with the same spirit.

As of Islamabad United, Jason Holder, the West Indian all-rounder led the tournament’s bowling charts with 11 wickets in just 4 matches while Sahibzada Farhan with his explosive batting has consistently provided United with strong starts, breaking the back of targets early. They would be intent to maintain the same form.

The Multan pitch typically favors batsmen in the first innings, with an average first-innings score of 172. Historical data suggests a significant advantage to the team batting first, with 9 victories compared to 4 for chasing teams across 13 PSL matches at this venue.

Weather conditions look ideal for cricket with sunny skies expected and temperatures ranging between 31-37°C, with no chance of rain interruptions. While the overall head-to-head record stands level, recent encounters heavily favor Islamabad United, who have won four of the last five meetings between these teams.

Given Islamabad’s perfect record and Multan’s struggles across both batting and bowling departments, the defending champions enter this contest as clear favorites. However, playing on home soil might just provide the spark the Sultans need to turn their season around.

Teams (from): Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan, Usama Mir, Michael Bracewell, David Willey, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Khan, Chris Jordan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Faisal Akram, Akif Javed, Gudakesh Motie, Josh Little, Tayyab Tahir, Aamer Azmat, Johnson Charles, Yasir Khan, Shahid Aziz, Ubaid Shah.

Islamabad United: Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, Matthew Short, Azam Khan, Imad Wasim, Jason Holder, Haider Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Benjamin Dwarshuis, Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Andries Gous, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Irshad, Rassie van der Dussen, Riley Meredith, Sam Billings, Hunain Shah, Saad Masood.