The Pakistan Super League 2017 is come down to its final match in the group stage but yet the playoff fixtures have not taken a final shape. It is only after the game between Islamabad United and Karachi Kings in Dubai on Sunday (Feb 26) gets over that the final picture will emerge.
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Three teams, including Islamabad, Peshwar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, have already booked their berths while Karachi have also more or less done the same. However, if Islamabad defeat Karachi by a heavy margin, Lahore Qalandars could get into the playoffs at the expense of Karachi, which makes the game on Sunday interesting.
Islamabad United also have a golden chance of finishing at the top of the league with a win over Karachi and can have an advantage in the playoffs and play in the first qualifier. They will hope to take revenge against Karachi who won their last encounter in PSL 2017.
There is no doubt that Islamabad United have some quality players who can win matches on their own. Players such as Dwayne Smith, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson Samuel Badree and Mohammad Irfan form a balanced unit, which can be a tough one to beat.
However, Islamabad must be aware of their opponents, who played some outstanding cricket against Lahore Qalandars to keep their hopes alive in PSL 2017. In fact, it was Kieron Pollard's heroics that had saved the day for Karachi as the West Indian hit two sixes in the last two balls to script a massive win.
This win will give Karachi a huge confidence when they take on Islamabad. They have the big names like Pollard, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, among others, to steer their team to victory. However, it remains to be seen if Chris Gayle, who did not play in the last match, will play against Islamabad United.
However, neither Karachi nor Islamabad can afford to depend on individuals. They need all their players to fire together in the final match of the group and head into the playoffs with a win.
Where to watch live
The Pakistan Super League 2017 match between Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings is scheduled for 8 pm local time (9.30 pm IST, 9 pm PKT, 4 pm GMT) start. Here is the livestreaming and TV option.
India: TV: No coverage.
Pakistan: TV: Ten Sports, PTV and Geo Super. Live streaming: PTV Sports Live.
UAE: TV: OSN Sports. Live streaming: OSN Play.
UK: TV: Prime TV. Live streaming: Prime TV Online.
Bangladesh: TV: Gazi TV.
West Indies: TV: Flow TV.
Live scores: Twitter.
