MULTAN - Lahore Qalandars beat Multan Sultans by one run to win the thrilling Pakistan Super League (PSL) 8 opener here at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Zaman Khan defended 14 runs in the last over to win the game for his side. Muhammad Rizwan and Shan Masood had put Multan Sultans in a commanding position. Rizwan scored his 13th fifty of the PSL against the defending champions. Openers Rizwan and Masood put the Sultans in a commanding position as they stitched a 100-run partnership for the first wicket. Qalandars finally found a breakthrough via Hussain Talat, who sent Masood (35) back to the pavilion.
Later, Qalandars’ skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled Rizwan after he scored 75 runs in 50 balls, reducing the home side to 131-2. After the two openers departed, the Qalandars skipper and Haris Rauf brought their side back into to the game. David Miller (25) was cleaned up by Rauf. Needing 15 runs in the last over, Shaheen gave the ball to Zaman Khan, who successfully defended 14 runs in penultimate over. Earlier, Put to bat first, Qalandars scored 176 runs in 20 overs, thanks to Fakhar’s 66 runs off 42 balls. The lefthanded batter completed his 2000 runs in the PSL. Young opening batter Mirza Tahir Baig scored 36 runs before getting out to Akeal Hossain. The two batters stitched a 61-run partnership for the first wicket.
Meanwhile, wicket-keeper batter Shai Hope also gathered 19 runs in 17 balls. All-rounder Sikandar Raza (19) and Hussain Talat (20) put on a 39-run partnership for the fifth wicket. For Multan Sultans, Usama and Ihsanullah claimed two wickets each, while Akeal secured one. PSL 8 kICkS off wIth SPARkLING oPENING CEREmoNy Earlier, the Pakistan Super League 8 commenced with a glittering opening ceremony at Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday. The cricket fans in Multan and all around the world saw spectacular performances by different artists and one of the major attractions were the performances of the singers, Abdullah Siddiqui, Asim Azhar, Faris Shafi and Shae Gill, of the PSL 8 anthem.
The fans were also treated to performances by the renowned music composer Sahir Ali Bagga and talented singer Aima Baig as the two added to the star-studded line-up. Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman PCB Management Committee Najam Sethi said that Quetta and Peshawar will also host PSL matches in 2024. “PSL has given several assets to Pakistan. This has become an international brand that we can be proud of. This year, several foreign and local players are debuting.”
He noted that the tournament has given several stars to the national side, including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali. “Full congratulations in advance to those who will win. Let the game begin,” Sethi concluded.
The closing ceremony and final will be played on March 19 in Lahore’s iconic Gaddafi Stadium, which will also host play-offs. The winner will not only lift the Supernova Trophy but will also collect a cheque of Rs120m, while the runners-up will receive a cheque of Rs48m.
