Peshawar Zalmi Predicted Playing XI vs Rawalpindiz- PSL 2026, Match 3

Peshawar Zalmi. Image Credits: AFP

The Peshawar Zalmi are all set to begin their PSL 2026 campaign from March 28 in Match 3 of the season as they take on the brand-new PSL team, Rawalpindiz, at 3 pm (IST). The afternoon game of the double header will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Having joined the Zalmi in 2023, Babar Azam will continue to lead the team in PSL 2026, with a renewed hope to win the trophy for the first time since 2017, which was the season 2. After the player auction, he is set to have a new opening partner to bat with, with some exciting talent and experience blended into their set-up.

As they begin their PSL 2026 season, we explore Peshawar Zalmi's predicted XI for the clash against the Rawalpindiz.

Peshawar Zalmi Likely Playing XI vs Rawalpindiz- PSL 2026, Match 3

Top-order- Babar Azam (c), Brian Bennet, Mohammad Haris (wk)

The leading run-scorer of the PSL, Babar Azam, will return to his preferred opening position after spending time in the middle-order during the T20 World Cup. He is again likely to anchor the innings, while others stack runs at a high strike rate around him.

Following the late withdrawal of the experienced James Vince, a spot has opened up at the top, where the newest Zimbabwe star, Brian Bennett, will slot in. He was one of the standout stars at the recent T20 World Cup, finishing just outside the top-5 run-getters and was the linchpin of the Zimbabwe team, which reached the Super 8.

(Brian Bennett's T20 World Cup 2026 stats)

The explosive wicketkeeper batter, Mohammad Haris, with an impeccable PSL record, scoring 905 runs in 36 innings, striking at almost 146, will bat at 3. After losing his spot on the national team, it will be interesting to see how he fares this season, where he is a key player for Zalmi and has an opportunity to be their x-factor.

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Middle-order- Iftikhar Ahmed, Aaron Hardie, Abdul Samad, Michael Bracewell, Aamer Jamal

Peshawar Zalmi have managed to combine a very good middle-order, which has multiple all-rounders, making it a deep batting lineup and also giving them 6-7 bowling options.

The experienced Ifitkhar Ahmed and Michael Bracewell will be the two off-spin bowling all-rounders, who are both capable of going all guns blazing if their team has a good start. They can also use their experience to stop collapses if things go south. Bracewell has had a batting strike rate of close to 150 since 2024, making him a perfect finisher for Zalmi.

The BBL winner, Aaron Hardie, alongside Aamer Jamal, will be the medium pacers of the lineup. Hardie will bat at 5, with almost 2000 T20 runs at a strike rate of 133, while picking 56 wickets in 67 innings. Jamal will bat at number 8, where he can slog a few balls, adding valuable runs — he has a T20 SR of 152.47 and 62 wickets in 61 matches.

The only middle-order batter who will not bowl any overs for the Peshawar Zalmi will be Abdul Samad. He has only batted in PSL 4 times, scoring 61 runs at a strike rate of 191. He will bat at 5-6 according to the match situation and try to finish the innings strongly for them.

Bowlers- Khurram Shahzad, Sufyan Muqeem, Nahid Rana

Khurram Shahzad and 23-year-old Bangladesh bowler, Nahid Rana, will be the two frontline fast bowlers of the team. Likely to make his PSL debut, Rana has impressed in his short international career for Bangladesh. In T20 cricket, he has 27 wickets in 30 innings. Shahzad is a key wicket-taker with 30 wickets in 20 PSL innings.

The x-factor bowler of this attack will be the leg-spinner, Sufyan Muqeem, who can bowl at a miserly economy rate of under 7 runs per over and pick wickets in clusters. His variations will be useful for the Peshawar Zalmi in the middle-overs, when the batters look to capitalise on the starts.

Peshawar Zalmi Playing XI vs Rawalpindiz- PSL 2026, Match 3- Babar Azam (c), Brian Bennet, Mohammad Haris (wk), Iftikhar Ahmed, Aaron Hardie, Abdul Samad, Michael Bracewell, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Sufyan Muqeem, Nahid Rana.

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