LAHORE - Multan Sultans cruised into their fourth consecutive HBL PSL 9, recording a thumping seven-wicket victory over Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL 9 Qualifier at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi. Peshawar Zalmi is now set to battle the victor of the eliminator clash between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators. The Sultans’ bowling attack was the highlight of the evening, as they worked collectively to restrict Zalmi to a modest total of 146- 7. The Sultans’ batsmen then confidently chased down the target in 18.3 overs.
The chase was ignited by Sultans’ openers, Yasir Khan and Muhammad Rizwan, whose 61-run partnership set a solid foundation. Despite Rizwan’s slow start, Yasir kept the momentum going, bringing up his first PSL fifty off just thirty balls. After Rizwan’s dismissal for 15, Yasir continued to attack until he was caught out for a well-made 54.
The game, however, was far from over as Johnson Charles and Usman Khan added 35 runs for the third wicket. Iftikhar Ahmed then took charge, smashing a quick unbeaten 22 off 8 balls, to edge the Sultans closer to victory. Usman Khan’s unbeaten 36 sealed the deal, ushering the Sultans into the final.
Earlier batting first, Zalmi saw their innings get off to a rocky start and never truly recover. Despite a fighting 46 from Babar Azam and contributions down the order, they could only muster 146-7, thanks to tight bowling by Usama Mir and Chris Jordan, who picked up two wickets each.
