Sultans seal six-wicket victory in nail-biting PSL encounter

Lahore: Multan Sultans secured a dominant six-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the eighth match of PSL 11 at Gaddafi Stadium.

Chasing a massive target of 226 runs, Multan Sultans successfully reached 227 for 4 in just 18.4 overs. The defeat marked Hyderabad Kingsmen’s third consecutive loss in the tournament.

Opener Sahibzada Farhan delivered a outstanding performance, scoring an unbeaten century off 55 balls, smashing 7 fours and 7 sixes. Steve Smith contributed 46 runs, while Shan Masood added 29. Josh Philippe scored 9, and captain Ashton Turner managed 4 runs.

For Hyderabad Kingsmen, Saim Ayub took two wickets, while Maheesh Theekshana and Hassan Khan claimed one each.

Earlier, Hyderabad Kingsmen posted a formidable total of 225 for 5 in their allotted overs. Muaz Sadaqat scored a quickfire 62 off 26 balls, while Sharjeel Khan added 51 runs. Irfan Niazi contributed 22 runs.

Saim Ayub scored 27, Usman Khan made 25, and captain Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed for 8, while Syed Saad Ali added 23 runs.

For Multan Sultans, Mohammad Wasim Jr picked up two wickets, while Peter Siddle and Ashton Turner took one wicket each.

Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne had opted to field first, expressing hope that his team would avoid previous mistakes and deliver a strong performance. Meanwhile, Multan skipper Ashton Turner said his side aimed to restrict the opposition to a manageable total.

In another development, the previous day’s PSL match between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi was abandoned due to rain, with both teams awarded one point each.