Multan Sultans Vs Karachi Kings | Match 23 | PSL 7, Sultans beat Kings by seven wickets with 176 for 3. They may have left it a little late, but the inevitable could not be thwarted. Mohammad Rizwan contributed to Multan Sultans’ ace chase of 175 to secure top-two finish.
| Multan Sultans 176 for 3 (Rizwan 76, Masood 45, Hamza 2-24) beat Karachi Kings 174 for 6 (Clarke 40, Sharjeel 36, Dahani 2-44) by seven wickets |
They might have left it a bit late, but the inevitable could not be thwarted. Multan Sultans, almost certain to top the table now, edged past Karachi Kings, guaranteed to finish bottom, in the final over, sealing a seven-wicket victory. In pursuit of 175, they were only trudging along at seven an over with five to go, with the asking rate at 14. But 71 runs in the last 27 balls – the last six a dashing flourish over square leg by Rilee Rossouw – condemned the Kings to their eighth successive defeat, at the same time ensuring the Sultans will get two bites at the cherry in their bid to qualify for the PSL final.
Mohammad Rizwan helps Multan Sultans ace chase of 175 to secure top-two finish
Karachi Kings guaranteed to finish bottom of the table after eighth straight defeat
KarachiIn the final over, Multan Sultans, who are almost certain to win the table, edged Karachi Kings, who were guaranteed to finish last, to win by seven wickets.With five to go, they were only limping along in pursuit of 175, with the asking rate set at 14. Yet, 71 runs in the last 27 balls – the last six a swank thrive over square leg by Rilee Rossouw – sentenced the Rulers to their eighth progressive loss, simultaneously guaranteeing the Kings will get two nibbles at the cherry in their bid to fit the bill for the PSL last.
In the end, Karachi may be to blame for a confusing approach to the first innings, especially the first ten overs.The well-known power hitter Sharjeel Khan had a difficult time, managing just 21 of his first 29 balls, and only 57 came off the first nine balls.It was up to the middle order to get their side a respectable total, as Babar Azam only scored two out of four.
Sharjeel behind schedule clicked into gear and was really great for two or three sixes, however hadn’t anywhere close to scattered the harm he had caused in a somnambulant walk around an innings when Khushdil Shah hit to eliminate him with simply his subsequent ball.The Kings appeared to be well behind the pace until the final seven overs. They needed cameos from Rohail Nazir and Imad Wasim, who hit an unbeaten 32 off 16 balls, to get the 174 they got. The late surge came from 75 runs in the last seven overs.
For the most part, the Sultans’ innings resembled the batting effort of a team that was already confident it would advance to the next round.Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood appeared content to strike at just over a run per ball, prioritizing wicket preservation on a pitch that did not appear to be as free-scoring as some of the pitches in this tournament.In a post-match interview, Masood admitted that he feared he had “messed up” the chase as the asking rate climbed inexorably and the Sultans’ power-hitters sat in the dugout, where they could do little damage. The free-flowing Masood was restrained for much of his innings.
The game really entered the next phase only after Masood sneaked out to the deep-cover boundary.Rizwan’s best instincts came to the fore, and all of a sudden, he seemed to be finding the gaps with every delivery. He almost put Tim David, who was batting alongside him, in the shade by bringing the run rate down completely on his own in every over.David quickly took over with a couple more boundaries after falling for a 56-ball 76, despite his early struggles, but his dismissal in the 18th over kept the Kings just in front.
As is typical in Twenty20 cricket, the game really showed its hand in the penultimate over.With a remarkable flick of the wrists, Khushdil Shah smashed Chris Jordan’s first ball over midwicket for six runs;Surprisingly, it was the Sultans’ first six of the game.After the second ball, which came two balls later, a boundary stood in the way, leaving nine to complete the final over.
Rossouw picked Umaid Asif up over square leg for six on the winning shot, which was delightfully flamboyant. He then casually folded his arms and held the pose.It displayed a swagger that is completely absent from the Kings, for whom this campaign cannot come to an end soon enough, but comes so easily to the Sultans right now.
Mohammad RizwanMultan SultansKarachi KingsKings vs. SultansPakistan Super League Khushdil cameo propels Multan into top two Not for the first time this week, Karachi Kings were within striking distance of their first win of the season. However, Multan Sultans defeated Islamabad United a few days earlier, resulting in their eighth defeat in eight games this season.Multan secured a top-two finish this season as a result.
Mohammad Rizwan had Sultans set up the seven-wicket victory with a 56-ball 76, but Khushdil Shah’s 9-ball 21 and Rilee Rossouw’s 5-ball 14 got their team over the line. Sultans had already qualified for the playoffs before this game.
Multan’s score of 34 off 14 balls appeared a little steep when Tim David was out in the 18th over.Chris Jordan, on the other hand, gave up 20 runs in the final over, when Khushdil hit him for 6, 4, and 6 to start the over.When Umaid Asif hit a wide in the first over of the innings, Karachi was on the verge of winning the game when the wheels fell off.
In point of fact, Karachi’s total at first was extremely competitive.After losing Babar Azam to Rumman Raees in the second over, Sharjeel Khan continued to score runs with a 34-ball 36. Joe Clarke’s 29-ball 40 and Imad Wasim’s 16-ball 32 helped them score 45 runs in the final four overs, including 16 in the last over.Karachi had a total to bowl at, so Mohammad Nabi (21 off 15) and Rohail Nazir (21 off 12) also contributed.
But Karachi’s bowlers couldn’t hit in the powerplay, giving up 44 runs in the first six overs, which set the tone for a 100-run stand in the first over.In the 15th over, when things appeared to be getting steep, Rizwan was caught by Jordan. However, Khushdil and Rossouw made sure that Multan won again after losing their previous game.
Brief Ratings: Clarke (40), Wasim (32), and Karachi Kings (174/6 in 20 overs);In 19.3 overs, Dahani 2-44) fell to Multan Sultans, 176/3 (Rizwan 76;by seven wickets (Hamza 2-24)
| Mohammad Rizwan | Multan Sultans | Karachi Kings | Kings vs Sultans | Pakistan Super League
