LAHORE   -  Multan Sultans managed to set a total of 159/9 in their allotted 20 overs against Islamabad United in the Grand Finale of the HBL PSL 9 at the National Bank Stadium on Monday night. 

The finale, character­ized by some exceptional bowling performances, particularly from Islam­abad United’s Imad Wa­sim, kept the fans on the edge of their seats. The innings began on a shaky note for the Sultans, with opener Yasir Khan depart­ing early for 6, caught by Mills off the bowling of Imad Wasim. This early blow was a sign of things to come, as David Willey soon followed, bowled by Wasim for 6, leaving the Sultans reeling at 14/2. 

Captain Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khan then attempted to stabi­lize the innings with a cau­tious partnership. Rizwan, known for his resilience, crafted a diligent 26 off 26 balls, including three boundaries, before fall­ing to the guile of Shadab Khan, caught by Guptill. 

Usman Khan emerged as the beacon of hope for the Sultans, anchoring the innings with a well-composed 57 off 40 balls, adorned with seven fours and a six. However, his dismissal by Shadab Khan marked the beginning of a middle-order collapse, with the Sultans losing wickets at regular intervals. 

Imad Wasim, the standout performer with the ball, returned aston­ishing figures of 5 for 23, including the cru­cial wickets of Johnson Charles and Khushdil Shah, further tightening the noose around the Sultans’ batting lineup. 

Despite the turbulence, Iftikhar Ahmed showed grit towards the end, scoring an unbeaten 32 off 20 deliveries to propel the Sultans to a defend­able total. His effort, how­ever, was overshadowed by the clinical bowling display from Islamabad United, with Shadab Khan supporting Wasim excel­lently, picking up 3 wick­ets for 32 runs. 

The fall of wickets at critical junctures, com­bined with the pressure exerted by Islamabad’s bowlers, left the Sultans struggling to build mo­mentum. The innings witnessed a flurry of dis­missals towards the end, with Chris Jordan and Ab­bas Afridi falling in quick succession, curtailing any hopes of a late surge.