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February 21, 2024
Multan, 21 February 2024: A breezy cameo by Iftikhar Ahmed and a fighting half-century by skipper Mohammad Rizwan helped Multan Sultans secure their third consecutive win in HBL PSL 9 in an exhilarating MS vs LQ showdown on Wednesday night at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The defending champions, Lahore Qalandars, suffered their third straight defeat as the Sultans pulled off the most successful chase in HBL PSL history at their home ground, marking a memorable moment for the team.
Chasing 167, Multan Sultans were in early trouble during the MS vs LQ contest. Shaheen Shah Afridi began with a maiden over. At the same time, Zaman Khan struck in the next, dismissing Dawid Malan for a golden duck with a magnificent yorker. The pressure continued as Shaheen returned to remove the dangerous Reeza Hendricks (9, 7b, 2x4s), who holed out to Fakhar Zaman at extra cover, leaving Multan in a precarious position at 15-2 within 2.5 overs.
Despite the early setbacks, Multan Sultans showed resilience, with Mohammad Rizwan anchoring the innings and Iftikhar Ahmed providing a quick-fire boost. Their efforts allowed Multan to recover and eventually seal the win in the intense MS vs. LQ encounter, further solidifying their standing in the tournament while leaving Lahore Qalandars struggling with their form.
Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan built a 38-run third-wicket partnership, providing much-needed stability to the Multan innings during the MS vs LQ match. However, George Linde struck on the final ball of the eighth over, dismissing Yasir (8, 13b, 1×4) as he was stumped while attempting to hit down the ground.
David Willey came in at number five and formed a crucial partnership with Rizwan, adding a valuable 75 off 51 balls in the ongoing MS vs. LQ encounter. Leading from the front, Rizwan took control against both spinners and pacers, holding the innings together as the pressure mounted. His composed batting kept Multan in the game, even as the required run rate climbed.
The breakthrough came for Lahore Qalandars when Zaman dismissed Rizwan (82, 59b, 9x4s, 3x6s) with a fine catch by Linde at deep midwicket, leaving the score at 128-4. This dismissal during the MS vs. LQ contest was crucial, as Rizwan’s departure put Multan Sultans in a challenging position.
In the 18th over of the MS vs. LQ clash, Iftikhar and Willey powered Multan Sultans forward, with Iftikhar hitting a boundary and Willey smashing a six. However, Willey’s innings ended shortly after, as Shaheen trapped him leg-before wicket for 25 (23b, 1×4, 1×6).
With 21 runs needed from the last two overs, Iftikhar took charge in the thrilling MS vs LQ match. He went on a rampage in the 19th over, hammering Zaman with five consecutive cracking shots, including three boundaries and two towering sixes, putting Multan on the brink of victory.
Iftikhar sealed the win with an unbeaten 34 off just 11 balls, finishing the game with an over to spare in the intense MS vs LQ encounter. For Lahore Qalandars, Shaheen and Zaman each claimed two wickets, while Linde chipped in with one.
Earlier in the MS vs. LQ matchup, Lahore Qalandars won the toss and chose to bat first in their initial away game of HBL PSL 9. However, they faced an early setback when Sahibzada Farhan, the opening batter, slashed at a back-of-length delivery from Mohammad Ali. This resulted in a sharp edge safely caught at second slip by Iftikhar, leaving Lahore in a difficult position.
With Lahore Qalandars struggling, Fakhar Zaman and Rassie van der Dussen stepped up to stabilize the innings during the MS vs LQ encounter. They aggressively attacked Ali, Willey, and Shahnawaz Dahani, lifting the tempo and ending the powerplay with the score reading 49-1. Fakhar was particularly impressive, showcasing his form by smashing two boundaries and two sixes during the powerplay, keeping the Qalandars’ hopes alive.
As the MS vs LQ match progressed, the partnership between Fakhar and Rassie proved crucial in mitigating the early loss and building momentum for the innings.
Van der Dussen celebrated his second HBL PSL fifty in the 12th over of the MS vs. LQ match. He reached the milestone off 34 balls with a boundary toward midwicket off Abbas Afridi. He and Fakhar Zaman formed a substantial second-wicket partnership, adding 94 runs off just 66 balls before Usama Mir made a breakthrough by dismissing Van der Dussen (54, 37b, 4x4s, 2x6s) with a brilliant delivery that pitched outside off and took the edge, landing safely in Rizwan’s gloves.
Sikandar Raza then joined Fakhar in the middle. He quickly got into a rhythm, hitting Iftikhar for two boundaries in the 14th over. However, Fakhar’s innings came to an end shortly after, as he was out for 41 (36b, 2x4s, 2x6s), top-edging a delivery from Abbas that was caught by Rizwan, leaving Lahore at 114-3 in the MS vs LQ contest.
Sikandar (23, 16b, 4x4s) aimed to maintain momentum. Still, he, too, fell victim to Mohammad Ali in the 17th over while attempting to clear the long-on boundary, further complicating Lahore’s efforts in the ongoing MS vs LQ match.
Jahandad Khan’s brief nine-ball innings in the MS vs. LQ match produced 16 runs, featuring a single towering six before he was run out while attempting to make his ground at the non-striker’s end.
Carlos Brathwaite then added valuable runs with a cameo of 15 not out off 8 balls, including 1 four and 1 six, helping the Qalandars reach a competitive total of 166-5 in their allotted 20 overs during the MS vs LQ encounter.
On the bowling side, Multan’s pacer Ali continued to shine, picking up two wickets and increasing his HBL PSL 9 tally to eight. Meanwhile, Abbas and Usama contributed by dismissing one batter each, putting Multan in a strong position as the MS vs LQ match progressed.
Match Summary: Multan Sultans Defeat Lahore Qalandars by Five Wickets
Multan Sultans triumphed over Lahore Qalandars in an exciting clash by five wickets.
Player of the Match: Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans)
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for The Wicket Insider, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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