Multan Sultans defeat Karachi Kings by seven wickets

LAHORE: Khushdil Shah’s 9-ball blitz earned Multan Sultans seven wickets win over Karachi Kings in the 23rd match of the Pakistan Super League here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday night. On Thursday, Islamabad United will play Peshawar Zalmi in the 24th match of the league.

Karachi Kings, who were rescued by Imad Wasim, from its poor start to a defendable target later despite having control of the game let it slip. The winless Karachi, which went so close to their first win on the day, remained winless. They finished its innings at 174 for six and then saw Multan Sultans score 176 runs for three with three balls to spare.

Khushdil’s two sixes and a four in the 19th over and Rillee Rossouw’s match winning six to Umaid Asif sealed the win for Multan which at some point looked impossible to achieve.

Multan openers Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan before separating completed 100 runs for the first wicket that vexed their inning. Though there was no fall of wicket from Multan end by the 14th over, Karachi’s to the line bowling kept they silent that increased the run rate to above 12. When at 99, they did not allow Multan get a single boundary in 17 balls. Frustrated Shan went for a big hit to Mir Hamza but his shot found Nabi at deep for a catch at his 45 that came in 41 balls, studded with six boundaries. Shan, however, completed 1000 runs in PSL from having played 30 matches.

A ball earlier, Rizwan completed yet another of his half centuries and was joined by Tim David. Rizwan then escalated the runs pace hitting Umaid Asif for four fours getting 18 runs in the 16th over. But that intensity came with a price as Rizwan lost his wicket to Chris Jordan in the following over. His 56-ball 76 had eight four in it. A short while after David too became the second victim of Hamza as Rillee watched him from the other end in desperation. However the next man in, Khushdil Shah announced his arrival with three back to back boundaries smashed to Jordan – two sixes and a four – and the 19th over yielded 20 runs, leaving nine to get in the final over. Rillee, however, finished the match off with 14 not out in five balls while Khushdil made nine ball 21. From Kings attack, Hamza had two wickets and Jordan one.

Earlier, things were frustrating in the first 10 overs for Karachi with Multan's spinners did well in the middle overs. Karachi struggled to manage even 67 runs for one in the first session of their innings. It were Imad and Mohammad Nabi who both annoyed Multan bowlers with quick singles and eight boundaries as Karachi mustered 107 runs in the next 10 overs with 56 coming in the final five.

Opener Sharjeel Khan and Joe Clarke gave spine to Kings strongly after they lost their skipper Babar Azam for just five runs. However, the left-right-hand combination of Sharjeel and Clarke scored 72 runs together.

Sharjeel scored 36 including a boundary and two sixes whereas Clarke smashed 40 with the help of three boundaries two sixes. In middle overs, Kings lost a couple of quick wickets to Shahnawaz Dahani and Blessing Muzarabani. Dahani had two wickets and Belling got one. Dahani took Nabi to bring Sultans back in the game while he had Qasim Akram earlier on and Muzarabani bagged Rohail Nazir. Both the batter scored 21 runs each.

In the end, it was Imad who did a splendid job for his team, scoring 32 off 16 balls laced with five boundaries and a six. For Sultans, Dahani took two while Muzarabani, Rumman Raees, Imran Tahir and Khushdil Shah shared a wicket apiece.

Earlier, Karachi Kings won the toss and elected to bat as the Babar Azam-led side is already out playoffs race after losing seven-straight games in season seven. The defending champions Sultans are the first team to have reached the knockout stage. They suffered the only defeat this season against Lahore Qalandars in the Lahore-leg. Karachi made one change in their playing XI as Rohail Nazir was called in place of Sahibzada Ferhan, while Sultans have made three changes in their lineup.