Lahore  -   High-flying Multan Sultans trounced Lahore Qalandars in the 14th match of the HBL PSL 9 here at the packed Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday night. The Sultans’ victory has left the Qalandars winless in the Lahore-leg of the HBL PSL Season 9 that came to an end as now the remaining matches of the league will be played in Karachi and Rawalpindi. Usman Khan’s scintillating 96-run knock and Usama Mir’s spectacular sixwicket haul were the highlights of the night, steering the Sultans to a commanding 60-run victory.

The Lahore Qalandars’ chase stumbled from the outset. Despite an initial glimmer of hope with a 51-run opening partnership, their innings was plagued by a steady loss of wickets, undermining their pursuit. Sahibzada Farhan (31), Rassie van der Dussen (30), and Fakhar Zaman (23) managed to get starts but couldn’t capitalize on them to steer their team to victory. Only three other Qalandars batters – Sikandar Raza (17), an unbeaten Carlos Brathwaite (14), and Kamran Ghulam (12) – managed to reach double digits. The rest of the lineup faltered, contributing to the team’s total collapse to 154 all out within 17 overs.

Usama Mir turned out to be the destroyer-in-chief for the Multan Sultans, bagging an impressive six wickets for just 40 runs. Faisal Akram supported well, claiming two wickets for 25 runs while Khushdil Shah and Aftab Ibrahim claimed one wicket each conceding 31 and 5 runs respectively. 

Earlier, the Sultans, after being put into bat, showcased a batting masterclass, piling up an imposing 214/4 in their allotted 20 overs. The innings got off to a rocky start, with captain Mohammad Rizwan departing for a duck in the very first over, courtesy of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s lethal delivery. However, this early jolt didn’t deter the Sultans’ resolve.

Usman Khan, alongside Reeza Hendricks, anchored the innings with a critical partnership. Hendricks contributed a brisk 40 off 27 balls before falling to Sikandar Raza. But the night belonged to Usman Khan, who fell just four runs short of a well-deserved century. His 96 off 55 balls, adorned with 11 fours and 2 sixes, kept the scoreboard ticking at a healthy rate. Tayyab Tahir and Iftikhar Ahmed also chipped in with valuable knocks, propelling the Sultans to a formidable total. 

The Qalandars’ bowlers struggled to find their rhythm against the Sultans’ onslaught. Shaheen Afridi managed to scalp two wickets but was expensive, conceding 39 runs. Carlos Brathwaite and Sikandar Raza picked up a wicket each but failed to stem the flow of runs.

POINTS TABLE TEAM M W L P NRR
Sultans  5 4 1 8 0.781
Gladiators  4 3 1 6 0.345
Zalmi  5 3 2 6 -0.285
Kings  3 2 1 4 -0.420
United  4 1 3 2 -0.082
Qalandars  5 0 5 0 -0.533

Scores in Brief
MULTAN SULTANS 214/4 in 20
overs (Usman Khan 96, Reeza
Hendricks 40, Iftikhar Ahmed
40; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-39)
beat
LAHORE QALANDARS
154 all out in 17 overs (Sahibzada
Farhan 31, Rassie van
der Dussen 30, Fakhar Zaman
23; Usama Mir 6-40, Faisal
Akram 2-25) by 60 runs.