PSL 2023 match preview: Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans

Key match-ups, analysis, form, team news, weather forecast, tickets, TV and streaming information, odds, predictions and more ahead of the latest encounter in the 2023 PSL

What's the match?

Peshawar Zalmi take on Multan Sultans in the next match of PSL8.

When is it taking place?

The match is scheduled to start at 7pm local time (2pm GMT) on Friday, March 10.

Where is the match being played?

The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi will play host to this fixture.

Who's got the form?

Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi head into this clash knowing a win will secure a spot in the knockout stages. Both sides have eight points (four wins, four defeats) and sit two clear of Quetta Gladiators, who kept their own hopes of a top-four finish alive with back-to-back wins over Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi.

The Sultans were flying in the first half of the season, winning four matches from a possible five, but have since lost three on the bounce to fall away from table-toppers Lahore Qalandars.

Zalmi, meanwhile, recently strung two wins together for the first time in PSL8 but suffered an eight-wicket defeat against the Gladiators in their most recent outing.

When the two sides met in February, Multan Sultans won by 56 runs.

What's the key match-up?

Runs are not really a problem for either side.

Multan Sultans have a star-studded batting line-up and while a number of players, including Mohammad Rizwean, David Miller and Rilee Rossouw, have been quiet of late, they still put on a show against Islamabad United, with Shan Masood (75 off 50) and Tim David (60 off 27) taking the lead.

Peshawar Zalmi, meanwhile, blasted 240 runs past Quetta Gladiators on March 8, with Babar Azam scoring a century and Saim Ayub and Rovman Powell also among the runs.

However, Multan Sultans lost to Islamabad United despite scoring 205 runs and Zalmi also lost to the Gladiators.

This match will likely be decided by which bowling attack holds its nerve.

Saim Ayub and Babar Azam have formed a solid opening partnership for Peshawar Zalmi [Aamir Qureshi/Getty Images]

What is the team news?

Tim David made an immediate impression after being selected for Multan Sultans, scoring a half-century in his first outing of PSL8 - it's hard to see him losing his spot in the side.

Since being promoted to the top of the order, Saim Ayub has impressed for Zalmi and has also brought out the best in Babar Azam.

What are the squads?

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam, Sherfane Rutherford, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Haris, Aamir Jamal, Salman Irshad, Tom-Kohler Cadmore, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Rovman Powell, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Danish Aziz, Arshad Iqbal, Saim Ayub, Usman Qadir, Suifyan Muqeem, Haseeb Ullah, Jimmy Neesham, Khurram Shahzad, Haris Sohail, Richard Gleeson (partial replacement for Rovman Powell), Peter Hatzoglou (partial replacement for Mujeeb ur Rahman), Shakib Al Hasan (available until February 26)

Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan, Khushdil Shah, Rilee Rossouw, Shan Masood, Shahnawaz Dahani (injured, February 15), Tim David, Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah, David Miller, Josh Little (injured, February 24), Akeal Hosein, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Sameen Gul, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Sarwar, Arafat Minhas, Kieron Pollard, Ammad Butt, Wayne Parnell (partial/full replacement for Adil Rashid), Izharulhaq Naveed (partial replacement for David Miller), Mohammad Ilyas (replacement for Shahnawaz Dahani), Carlos Brathwaite (replaced Wayne Parnell)

*squads are for the overall competition and not specific to this match

What are the possible starting XIs?

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Haseebullah Khan, Rovman Powell, Aamer Jamal, Wahab Riaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Arshad Iqbal, Mujeeb ur Rahman

Multan Sultans: Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Kieron Pollard, Tim David, Anwar Ali, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ilyas, Ihsanullah

What is the weather forecast?

Sunny conditions are expected in Rawalpindi, with temperatures peaking around 27 degrees Celsius.

Tim David impressed with a half-century in his first outing of PSL8 for Multan Sultans [Farooq Naeem/Getty Images]

What are the odds?

Multan Sultans are the favourites with odds of 4/5 while Peshawar Zalmi are available at 15/13.

What's the prediction?

Multan Sultans will be too much for Peshawar Zalmi due to their star-studded batting line up.

Where can I watch the game?

Cricket fans in Pakistan will be able to watch PSL8 on A Sports, PTV Sports and TEN Sports on TV. Streamed matches will be available on Daraz App, tapmadTV and Tamasha.

Viewers around the world can watch the action live on Fox Sports (Australia), Sony (South Asia outside Pakistan), Willow TV (North America), Flow Sports (Caribbean), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), Sky Sport (New Zealand), Super Sport (sub-Saharan Africa) and, Etisalat and STARZPLAY (Mena).

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