Usman Khan's magnificent innings of 96 runs catapulted Multan Sultans to an imposing total of 214/4 against Lahore Qalandars in the 14th match of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 9 at the bustling Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday. 

The match, witnessed by a packed crowd, saw the Sultans losing their captain, Mohammad Rizwan, early on for a duck, bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi in the very first over. However, this early setback did not deter the spirits of the Sultans. Reeza Hendricks and Usman Khan steadied the ship with a critical partnership. Hendricks played a valuable knock of 40 off 27 balls, including six fours and a six, before being caught by Sahibzada Farhan off Sikandar Raza. 

Usman Khan, the star of the evening, showcased his class with an outstanding innings, scoring 96 runs off just 55 balls. His innings was embellished with 11 fours and 2 sixes, keeping the scoreboard ticking and putting pressure on the Qalandars' bowlers. Tayyab Tahir and Iftikhar Ahmed also made valuable contributions. Tahir added 21 runs before being caught by Jahandad Khan off Carlos Brathwaite, and Ahmed accelerated towards the end, scoring a quickfire 40 not out off 18 balls, including 2 fours and 3 sixes. 

The Lahore Qalandars' bowlers struggled to contain the Sultans' batsmen on a surface that seemed conducive to batting. Shaheen Shah Afridi, despite taking the crucial wicket of Mohammad Rizwan, ended up conceding 39 runs for his 2 wickets. Carlos Brathwaite and Sikandar Raza managed to pick up a wicket each but at the cost of 36 and 20 runs respectively. 

The Lahore Qalandars, facing a daunting task, will need a solid start and contributions from their key batsmen to chase down the target in what promises to be an exciting second half of the match. 

SCORES IN BRIEF 
MULTAN SULTANS 214/4 in 20 overs (Usman Khan 96, Reeza Hendricks 40, Iftikhar Ahmed 40; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-39) vs LAHORE QALANDARS.