PSL 9: Multan Sultans defeat Lahore Qalandars by five wickets

MULTAN: Multan Sultans beat Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in the seventh match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 on Wednesday.

Chasing a target of 167 runs, the Sultans reached the victory with seven balls to spare, thanks to a brilliant knock of 82 by captain Mohammad Rizwan and a quick-fire 34 by Iftikhar Ahmed.

The match, which was played at the Multan Cricket Stadium, saw the Qalandars opting to bat first after winning the toss. They posted a competitive total of 166 for six, with Vander Dawson scoring 54 and Fakhar Zaman making 41. Mohammad Ali was the pick of the bowlers for the Sultans, taking two wickets for 29 runs. Abbas Afridi and Osama Mir also chipped in with one wicket each.

The Sultans started their chase confidently, with Rizwan and Shan Masood putting on 68 runs for the first wicket. After Masood fell for 25, Rizwan continued to anchor the innings, hitting nine fours and two sixes in his 56-ball knock. He was well supported by Iftikhar, who smashed four sixes in his 11-ball cameo. The duo added 63 runs for the fourth wicket and took the game away from the Qalandars.

Shaheen Afridi and Zaman Khan were the only bowlers who troubled the Sultans, taking two wickets each for 39 and 40 runs respectively. However, they could not prevent the Sultans from registering their second win of the tournament. Rizwan was declared the player of the match for his match-winning innings.