Khushdil Shah’s last-over heroics steered the Multan Sultans to a nail-biting victory as smashed four boundaries — three fours and one six — against Lahore Qalandars in the third of the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) seventh edition.
The Sultan’s needed 16 from six to win against the Qalandars and reach the 207-run target. And that’s when Khushdil charged and punished pacer Haris Rauf.
The groundwork had already been laid by skip-per Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood as they smashed unbeaten half-centuries.
Rizwan played a captain’s knock as he scored 69 off 42 balls, while Khushdil, who played sensation-ally with the ball, grabbed his side the opening wicket and also took a total of two crucial scalps — Abdullah Shafiq, and Mohammad Hafeez — after they won the toss and put Lahore to bat.
The Qalandar’s bowlers could not perform up to the mark in the early over; however, they picked up pace in the last five overtaking back-to-back wick-ets. Qalandars batters had handed the highest-ever 207-run target to the Sultans.
Qalandar’s innings
Fakhar Zaman’s hard-hitting helped Qalandars put up an impressive score on the board in the third match of the PSL at the National Stadium in Kara-chi.
Shaheen had been put to bat first after losing the toss, but the decision did bear fruit, and the Qalan-dars were able to make their highest ever score of 206 for the loss off four wickets.
Fakhar Zaman made 76 off 35 balls, with the help of 11 fours and two sixes, while Kamran Ghu-lam smashed 43 off 31 balls with the help of two fours and three sixes.
The fall of wickets began in the ninth over when Khushdil Shah picked up the first and crucial wicket of Abdullah Shafiq (24), who was on a roll with his opening partner Fakhar Zaman.
Later in the 12th over, Imran Tahir took the wicket of Fakhar (76), piling up pressure on the Qalandars.—AFP
