MULTAN: In a thrilling encounter at Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday night, hosts Multan Sultans emerged victorious against Lahore Qalandars in the 7th match of the HBL PSL 9, propelled by stellar performances from Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed.
Skipper Mohammad Rizwan’s masterful innings saw him strike three sixes and nine boundaries off 45 balls, securing a crucial 82 runs. His partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed, who played a blazing innings, proved pivotal in securing the win.
Ahmed’s unbeaten 34 runs off just 11 balls, including five fours and two towering sixes, sealed the victory for Multan Sultans. Additionally, David Willey contributed significantly with 25 runs off 23 balls, featuring one four and one six.
On the bowling front, Lahore Qalandars’ captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, delivered an impressive performance, claiming two crucial wickets for 25 runs. Zaman Khan also chipped in with two wickets, albeit conceding 52 runs, while George Linde managed to secure one wicket, conceding 26 runs.
Multan Sultans’ collective effort, led by Mohammad Rizwan’s captain’s innings and Iftikhar Ahmed’s aggressive batting, propelled them to a memorable victory over Lahore Qalandars in a captivating contest.
Earlier today, opting to bat first, Lahore Qalandars suffered an early setback as Sahibzada Farhan departed for just 2 runs off 8 balls. However, Fakhar Zaman took charge and formed a formidable 94-run partnership off 66 balls alongside Rassie van der Dussen.
The partnership was eventually broken by Usama Mir, who dismissed Rassie van der Dussen after his impressive 54 off 37 balls, featuring four boundaries and two sixes.
Sikandar Raza contributed a quickfire 23 off 16 balls, adorned with four boundaries, before being dismissed by Mohammad Ali, who showcased fine form throughout the tournament.
Jahandad Khan showed promise with a brief cameo, scoring 16 off 9 balls, including a six, before falling victim to a run-out.
Abdullah Shafique (6) and Carlos Brathwaite (15) remained unbeaten, guiding Lahore Qalandars to a competitive total in Multan.
Mohammad Ali, with figures of 2-28, continued his impressive bowling from the previous match, claiming two crucial wickets. Usama Mir (1-25) and Abbas Afridi (1-34) also contributed with a wicket each.
Shahnawaz Dahani, replacing Olly Stone, proved a tad expensive, conceding 24 runs in his overs without a wicket. Iftikhar Ahmed (0-26) and David Willey (0-27) were also economical with their bowling.
In the toss, Lahore Qalandars’ captain Shaheen Shah Afridi elected to bat first against Multan Sultans.
The lineups were as follows:
Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Dawid Malan, David Willey, Reeza Hendricks, Yasir Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, David Willey, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani.
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Rassie van der Dussen, Carlos Brathwaite, Jahandad Khan, Abdullah Shafique, Sikandar Raza, George Linde, Carlos Brathwaite, Jahandad Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan.
