LAHORE   -  Multan Sultans secured a thrill­ing five-wicket win against Is­lamabad United during the en­thralling fifth match of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 9 at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night. 

The game was illuminated by Reeza Hendricks’ masterful half-century alongside crucial con­tributions from captain Moham­mad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed. Hendricks led the charge for the Sultans, crafting a magnificent 58 from 46 balls, an innings beauti­fied with six fours and a towering six. Captain Rizwan delivered a powerful 43 off 33 balls, weaving his innings with six boundaries and two sixes. 

While Iftikhar Ahmed provid­ed the finishing touches with an unbeaten 18 from 17 balls, in­cluding a majestic six, ensuring the Sultans reached their tar­get in a nail-biting finish on the penultimate ball of the match. This victory marked the Sultans’ second win in the tournament, solidifying their position as for­midable contenders. 

Earlier, the Multan Sultans’ bowlers set the stage for this vic­tory, with Mohammad Ali lead­ing the charge by dismantling Islamabad United’s batting order, claiming 3 wickets for a mere 19 runs. Abbas Afridi matched the intensity, capturing another 3 wickets, albeit for 33 runs. Their bowling assault was com­plemented by Usama Mir, who contributed with 2 wickets for 29 runs, and David Willey, who claimed a vital wicket for 26 runs, curtailing Islamabad United to a manageable total of 144 runs. 

Despite the challenges, Is­lamabad United’s middle-order showed resilience, with Agha Salman and Jordan Cox mounting a counterattack. Salman emerged as a standout, scoring a gritty 52 off 43 balls, adorned with three fours and two sixes. Cox added firepower with a brisk 41 off 28 balls, including two fours and two sixes, injecting hope into the United camp. However, apart from Azam Khan and captain Shadab Khan, who contributed 13 and 11 runs respectively, Is­lamabad United struggled to build substantial partnerships. The ‘Extras’ column, interestingly, outscored both individual efforts with a total of 14 runs, reflecting the disciplined bowling and field­ing display by the Sultans. Today (Wednesday), two matches will be contested in the HBL PSL 9 as the first match of the day between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zal­mi will be hosted by Gaddafi Sta­dium at 2:00 PM while the second match of the day will be contested between Lahore Qalandars and hosts Multan Sultans at 7:00 PM at Multan Cricket Stadium.

SCORES IN BRIEF
ISLAMABAD UNITED 144 in
20 overs (Agha Salman 52,
Jordan Cox 41, Azam Khan 13,
Shadab Khan 11; Mohammad
Ali 3-33, Abbas Afridi 3-33,
Usama Mir 2-29) vs MULTAN
SULTANS (Reeza Hendricks
58, Mohammad Rizwan 43,
Iftikhar Ahmad 18*; Naseem
Shah 2-27) by 5 wickets.