One of the two teams to win the PSL title twice is Islamabad United representing the federal capital of Pakistan in one of the top T20 leagues. The Islamabad United squad for PSL 2024 boasts a mix of experienced veterans and promising youngsters.
This year IU squad has shown more dependence on all-rounders to get the PSL title which they have won twice previously. Islamabad United has a competitive squad with exciting potential in all three departments of the game.
Their depth and variety in the all-rounder department with explosive openers covering them well. Whereas some raw pace in the form of the Shah brothers among seasoned T20 players making them a tough pill to swallow in front of the opposition.
Islamabad United Players List
- Islamabad United Batters: Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Shamyl Hussain, Jordan Cox, Haider Ali,
- IU Wicket-Keeper: Azam Khan
- All-Rounders of Islamabad United: Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Agha, Qasim Akram,
- IU Bowlers: Naseem Shah, Rumman Raees, Tymal Mills, Matthew Forde, Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah, Shahab Khan
- Islamabad United Overseas Players: Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Jordan Cox, Tymal Mills, Matthew Forde, Obed McCoy,
IU Squad Analysis
IU Batters
Colin Munro and England’s Alex Hales both are now available for global T20 leagues. This explosive opening pair can better off any team on a given day. With t20 strike rates of 143 and 140 respectively, they can take the leather of the ball rather quickly.
Jordan Cox is a promising youngster with the ability to contribute to team winning. In his short t20 career he has a strike rate of 136. Whereas the unfulfilled talent of Haider Ali gets another chance to show his talent and skills on the PSL stage.
IU Bowlers
The bowling resources of IU for the 2024 PSL season look quite thin on experience and match practice but high on potential. They have opted to pick three Shah brothers including Naseem, Hunain, and Ubaid.
Naseem is returning from a long injury layoff and will be used tentatively whereas others too are raw and talented but lacked experience. Hunain has 17 wickets in his T20 career whereas Ubaid was the 3rd highest wicket taker in the recently concluded U-19 World Cup.
Rumman Raees is another injury-prone fast bowler who only features in PSL matches now but can be mighty effective because of his variations and control. Tymal Mills and West Indian Obed McCoy are two overseas signings who can boost the bowling powers of IU.
Other than Faheem Ashraf who is a fast bowling all-rounder IU has four spin bowling all-rounders. Faheem has lost his place in the Pakistan team but has shown his utility in domestic cricket many times. Captain Shadab Khan transformed himself into a utility cricketer but his focus on batting has adversely affected his bowling stats.
All-Rounders of Islamabad United
Imad Wasim is a seasoned pro and plays T20 leagues globally. He possesses a batting strike rate of 134 and a bowling average of 27 over a career span of 227 matches.
Salman Agha and Qasim Akram are the other two potential candidates for the all-rounder’s slot and have been tipped for some great things for Pakistan for quite some time. Both of them are more of batting all-rounders and will be on the side for their batting exploits but can fill in some overs.
Islamabad United Records
- Islamabad United played 77 matches in PSL and won 41 games whereas losing 35 matches against the oppositions.
- Luke Ronchi is the top run scorer for Islamabad United in PSL. He scored 1020 in only 31 games played across three seasons.
- With 65 wickets Shadab Khan is the highest wicket taker for IU in PSL history.
