KARACHI: Defending champions Multan Sultans defeated Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in the third nail-biting match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the National Stadium in Karachi today.
Earlier, Multan Sultans won the toss and decided to field first. Qalandars set a target of 207 runs for the defending champions.
Khushdil Shah's last over heroism helped Multan Sultans to a five-wicket win against Qalandars. Sultan needed 16 from six to reach the target and win against the Qalandars. And then Khushdil accused fast bowler Haris Rauf and punished him.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood had already started the ground work with unbeaten half-centuries.
Rizwan played the captain's innings with a 42-ball 69, while Khushdil, who played a sensational game with the ball, delivered his first wicket and also took two crucial wickets in total - Abdullah Shafiq, and Mohammad Hafeez - after winning the toss and Lahore. Put it to bat.
Qalandar's bowlers could not perform well in the opening over. However, he picked up the pace in the last five over-to-back wickets. The Qalandars' batsmen had given the Sultans the highest ever target of 207 runs.
Qalandar's innings
Earlier, hard hitting from Fakhar Zaman helped Qalandars post an impressive score on the board in the third match of the PSL at the National Stadium in Karachi.
Shaheen was called to bat after losing the toss, but the decision took effect and the Qalandars were able to make their highest score of 206 runs for the loss of four wickets.
Fakhar Zaman scored 76 runs in 35 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes, while Kamran Ghulam scored 43 runs in 31 balls with the help of two fours and three sixes.
The fall of wickets began in the ninth over when Khushdil Shah took the first and crucial wicket of Abdullah Shafiq (24), who was on roll with his opening partner Fakhar Zaman.
Later in the 12th over, Imran Tahir took the wicket of Fakhar (76), putting pressure on Qalandars.
Mohammad Hafeez was the third man to concede 16 runs in 12 balls and the man to dismiss him was skilful. Meanwhile, David Willey took the fourth wicket of Kamran Ghulam (43) in the 18th over.
Defending champions Multan Sultans are playing their second match today and are at the top of the points table with a win against Karachi Kings.
Meanwhile, Lahore Qalandars are playing their first match of the season with Shaheen Shah Afridi as the captain.
The two sides have faced each other in nine matches in the history of the PSL, with Sultans claiming five and Qalandars four.
The Sultans did very well in their opener against the 2019 title holders Karachi Kings and would like to carry on the same momentum as they go into their clash against the Qalandars.
playing XI
Multan Sultans: Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan (c) (wk), Sohaib Maqsood, Riley Rossouw, Tim David, Khushdil Shah, David Willey, Imran Tahir, Imran Khan Sr., Shahnawaz Dahani, Ehsanullah
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafiq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Ghulam, Ben Dunk, David Wiese, Samit Patel, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan