Lowdown on PSL 2018 final: All you need to know about Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi

HBL Pakistan Super League reaches climax in Karachi on Sunday evening, when two previous winners meet in summit clash

Dubai, March 18, 2018:Islamabad United  celebrates the dismissal of Khurram Manzoor of Karachi Kings during the PSL match at the Dubai International  Stadium in Dubai. Satish Kumar for the National/ Story by Paul Radley
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Fixture

Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi, National Stadium, Karachi at 8pm start (UAE time). Match will be shown live on OSN Cricket

More on the teams

Islamabad United were the first winners of the PSL two years ago, when, after an indifferent start to the competition, they made a late run to success.

They have been entirely different this time round, dominating the league phase. Having finished top with seven wins from their 10 matches, they then advanced to the final at the first available opportunity, crushing Karachi Kings with eight overs to spare in their qualifier play-off.

Peshawar Zalmi, by contrast, needed two wins in the space of 24 hours on the final weekend of the league in Sharjah to scrape through to the play-offs.

The defending PSL champions then went through a nerve-shredding eliminator against Quetta Gladiators, before beating Karachi Kings to make it through to a second successive final.

epa06618694 Spectators cheer during a knock out match of Pakistan Super League between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings, at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, 21 March 2018.  EPA/RAHAT DAR
Spectators cheer during a game between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings, at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Rahat Dar / EPA

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Read more

Luke Ronchi hopes his Islamabad United avoid Karachi Kings in final

Play-offs and form guide on Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta

Kevin Pietersen: 'I've got better and bigger things to go on to now'

Ibtisam Sheikh on fast lane to success after ditching pace for spin

Players to watch in the 2018 season across UAE and Pakistan

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More on the venue

The 34,000-capacity National Stadium in Karachi is the third different venue for a PSL final in the competition's first three years.

Dubai International Stadium hosted the first in 2016, before it was taken back to Pakistan last year.

As at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore last year, the security operation for the final in Karachi has been substantial. Tickets reportedly sold out for the match within three hours.

epa06614440 Workers prepar the ground at the National Stadium, where the final of Pakistan Super League will be played, in Karachi, Pakistan, 19 March 2018. Karachi will host the final of Pakistan Super LEague (PSL) on 25 March between Islamabad United and one of the winning teams from Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, and Karachi Kings.  EPA/SHAHZAIB AKBER
Workers prepare the ground at the National Stadium in Karachi, where the final of 2018 Pakistan Super League will be played. Shahzaib Akber / EPA

Players to watch

Islamabad will be hoping that a week without cricket – by far the longest break they have had during the competition – has not cooled Luke Ronchi’s hot streak.

Last time out, he savaged Karachi’s vaunted bowling attack in Dubai to the tune of an unbeaten 92. In the process, he posted the fastest half-century in the tournament – just 19 balls – and he had hit the two previous fastest, too.

Despite all that, he might not even be the toastiest batsman on show in the final. Kamran Akmal has found some remarkable form just as the tournament has reached crunch time.

Peshawar’s wicketkeeper opener has innings of 75, 107 and 77 in the space of his past four trips to the crease. That run of form has taken him above Ronchi at the top of the run-scoring charts – which was the place he finished last year’s competition, too.

Dubai, March 18, 2018: (L)  Luke Ronchi of Islamabad United celebrates with his teamate Samit Patel after winning the match against  Karachi Kings during the PSL match at the Dubai International  Stadium in Dubai. Satish Kumar for the National/ Story by Paul Radley
Wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi, right, is in big-hitting form at the moment. Satish Kumar for the National