LAHORE - Multan Sultans thrashed Quetta Gladiators by a 79 runs in the 30th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 9 at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Tuesday night.
This victory propelled the Sultans back to the pinnacle of the PSL 9 leaderboard, amassing 14 points and setting the stage for a thrilling Qualifier against Peshawar Zalmi, who trail just a point behind. Tasked with a challenging target of 186, the Gladiators’ batting line-up crumbled to just 106, marking a significant setback before their upcoming Eliminator against Islamabad United.
The Gladiators struggled from the outset, losing opener Jason Roy for 3 to David Willey early in the innings. Saud Shakeel also departed quickly, contributing 14 runs. The team’s woes continued as they lost Rilee Rossouw and Laurie Evans, stumbling to 47/4 by the 6.1 overs. Omair Bin Yousuf emerged as a beacon of hope with a spirited 37 off 25 balls, but his efforts weren’t enough to steer his team out of trouble. Sultans’ David Willey and Usama Mir clinched three wickets each.
Earlier, batting first, the Sultans posted an impressive 185/4. Despite losing Yasir Khan early, Usman Khan and Mohammad Rizwan steadied the innings with a crucial second-wicket partnership. Rizwan, the top scorer with a 47-ball 69, and Johnson Charles, who contributed a quick 53 off 29, were instrumental in building a competitive total. Iftikhar Ahmed’s explosive finish, scoring an unbeaten 20 off 8 balls, further bolstered their score. Mohammad Amir’s picked up two wickets for the Gladiators.
PCB ANNOUNCES MATCH OFFICIALS FOR PSL 9 PLAYOFFS AND FINAL
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced umpire and match referee appointments for the three playoff matches as well as the final of the ongoing HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.
The final four games of the PSL 9 will be played from March 14-18 at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi. The first Qualifier will be played on March 14 involving table-toppers Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi and will be refereed by Roshan Mahanama. Aleem Dar and Richard Illingworth will be the on-field umpires, while Rashid Riaz and Faisal Afridi will be the third and fourth umpires, respectively.
Match referee Muhammad Javed will lead the playing control team for the 15 March Eliminator 1 between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators. Ahsan Raza and Chris Gaffaney will be the on-field umpires, while Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz will be the third and fourth umpires, respectively. Meanwhile, Eliminator 2 will be played on 16 March featuring the loser of the 14 March match and the winner of the 15 March fixture will be refereed by Muhammad Javed.
Richard Illingworth and Asif Yaqoob will perform on-field umpire responsibilities, while Ahsan Raza and Faisal Afridi will be the third and fourth umpires, respectively. For the final of the PSL 9, scheduled on 18 March, Richard Illingworth and Chris Gaffaney will perform the duties of on-field umpires, while Ahsan Raza and Asif Yaqoob will be third and fourth umpires, respectively. Roshan Mahanama will lead the playing control team for the final.
