Fantasy Picks: It’s Rawalpindi, stuff your XI with batting options

March 5: PSL – Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators, Rawalpindi

Our XI: Kamran Akmal, Shane Watson, Jason Roy, Hider Ali, Lewis Gregory, Ben Cutting, Shoaib Malik, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Fawad Ahmed, Mohammad Hasnain

Captain: Kamran Akmal

Not often has Kamran Akmal gone without a significant score in over three PSL games. He scored a century the last time these two teams met, and he has to be your captain. He has scored 265 runs in the last five innings against Quetta.

Vice-captain: Shane Watson

Watson has been trying to spend more time in the middle and it has helped. He scored a fighting 80 off 41 balls against Multan Sultans and we are sure something similar will happen against Peshawar. He has scored at a strike rate of 129.03 against spin and 158.44 against pace in PSL 2020 so far.

Hot Picks

Jason Roy: Roy is too powerful a striker to leave out. He has struck at a more-than-healthy strike rate of 136.49 in the powerplay in PSL 2020 so far. Roy strikes at 144.96 against left-arm pacers in T20s, and with Wahab Riax and Rahat Ali in the Peshawar team, Roy could score some big runs.

Shoaib Malik: Shoaib must be high on confidence after his 68 in the previous game at the same venue. He is a confidence player and someone who makes the most of good form. You must not leave him out. Malik has scored 974 runs at No. 4 in all T20s since 2019 at a strike rate of 126.98, the most runs by any batsman in that position in the time frame.

Value Picks

Lewis Gregory: Gregory has played just two games in the tournament so far but has impressed already. He won the Player of the Match award for his 4 for 25 in the first game and scored a useful 25 lower down the order in the second game. He is one of our value picks.

Fawad Ahmed: Fawad got into the team after being left out for the last few games and got among the wickets immediately. Always pick legspinners in your T20 sides, and Fawad is a good one. He has picked up 82 wickets in all T20s since 2018 at an economy of 6.75.

Points to note

• The average first-innings score in Rawalpindi this season is 174 (shortened game not considered).

• The team batting second has won all three games at the venue this season, so have an extra batsman from the team that bats second.