Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United PSL tips: Zalmi dangerous batting first

• Zalmi a trade

• Lahore pitch looks flat again

• Babar bet boosted

Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United
Monday 26 February, 14.00
TV: Live on Sky743

Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United team news

Zalmi are two from their last two. They hung on to defend 211 against Lahore on Sunday, damning the holders to a fifth-straight defeat and almost ending their play-off hopes. Saim Ayub found form with a half-century and Rovman Powell batted at No 3 as Zalmi showed they were prepared to be flexible with their batting order if they got off to a fast start.

Probable XI: Ayub, Babar, Haris, Powell, Asif, Walter, Haseebullah, Wood, Naveen, Irshad, Yaqoob

United are in need of a win after consecutive defeats. The arrival of Martin Guptill doesn't exactly make them more likely to get one. Unless he's displacing Colin Munro or Alex Hales he doesn't get in this team. They seem to reckon he's a middle-order player but if he starts batting there we can put a big black mark against this lot.

Possible XI: Munro, Hales, Salman, Shadab, Azam, Cox, Imad, Faheem, Hunain, Raees, Naseem

Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United pitch report

In Lahore 22 of the last 32 have been won by the team batting first and 19 first-innings have busted 180 or more. Zalmi's 211 may against Lahore may have been played on a fresh strip as scores were previously beginning to dip. It might be time to start looking at overs bets again on the par line.

Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United match odds

United are 1.875/6 favourites with Zalmi 2.1011/10. We're notsure those odds look right given the formguide.

Yes, United are reliably consistent in this tournament but they have been dreadful in their last two. And Zalmi have a decent balance about them, particularly with Luke Wood looking a significant threat with the ball.

If we keep that toss bias on side - and we have to respect it again if they have moved matches to newer strips - then Zalmi are more than capable of flipping the odds and being short odds-on at the break thanks to a big score.

Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United player bets

United's batting order is a moving jigsaw, And that makes us nervous about getting with Imad Wasim again. We're not too worried about a slot at No 6 but No 7 and prices of 19/120.00 have considerably have less appeal. We are second-guessing whether he gets a go at No 5.

Alex Hales has been boosted to 3/14.00 but he's winning at 18% in this tournament. An argument could be made that he's 'due' given that he's on a sequence of no wins but has been hitting well.

For Zalmi, Babar Azam has two wins in four and the boosted 12/53.40 is likely to prove popular.