Luke Ronchi gets bowled by Hassan Khan, Quetta Gladiators v Islamabad United, PSL 2018, Sharjah, February 28, 2018/PCB/PSL

SHARJAH: Quetta Gladiators will face off against Islamabad United at the Sharjah Cricket Ground tonight, in a race to the top of the points table.

Both the teams have already qualified for the playoffs, so the match is a dead rubber in that sense. But the two points the winner gets today will be crucial in ensuring that team's domination on the points table. 

Both Quetta and Islamabad will want to show off their strengths and gain a psychological edge over the other, ahead of the eliminating stages. 

Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans by 33 runs on Tuesday to cement their place in the playoffs. With this result, Quetta were also propelled to the playoffs, leaving the remaining two slots open to three other teams: Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings. 

However, Quetta Gladiators lost to Lahore Qalandars by 17 runs in a set-back on Wednesday. The Misbah-led team, in contrast, has transformed into the most consistent side of this tournament. Driven by power hitting from opener Luke Ronchi, disciplined pace bowling and dangerous spin, it has won five straight games so far.