Peshawar Zalmi beat Multan Sultans in nail-biting match. Peshawar Zalmi emerged victorious in a nail-biting encounter against Multan Sultans during the ninth match of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine at the iconic Multan Cricket Stadium.
In a tense showdown that went down to the wire, Peshawar Zalmi clinched a narrow 5-run win, leaving Multan Sultans grappling with a heartbreaking defeat.
The thrilling contest reached its climax in the final over when Multan Sultans’ hopes rested on the shoulders of Iftikhar Ahmed, who unfortunately fell short in guiding his team to the target set by Peshawar Zalmi.
Facing the relentless bowling of Zalmi’s Naveen-ul-Haq, Ahmed’s valiant effort wasn’t enough to turn the tide in Multan’s favor.
Opting to chase a challenging target of 180 runs, Multan Sultans faced an early setback when their skipper Mohammad Rizwan departed without troubling the scorers, courtesy of Luke Wood’s precision bowling.
Despite a promising start by Yasir Khan, who notched up 43 runs, Multan struggled to maintain momentum against a resilient Zalmi bowling attack.
The game witnessed a dramatic turn with Dawid Malan’s explosive innings, where he blazed through the opposition with a blistering knock of 52 runs off just 25 balls.
However, Malan’s departure marked a turning point as Multan Sultans failed to capitalize on the momentum, losing wickets in quick succession.
A glimmer of hope emerged when Usama Mir displayed a brief fireworks display, smashing two consecutive sixes. Yet, his dismissal on the third delivery dashed Multan’s aspirations.
With Iftikhar Ahmed at the crease, Multan remained hopeful until the last over, but Naveen-ul-Haq’s pivotal breakthrough ensured victory for Peshawar Zalmi, leaving Multan Sultans agonizingly close yet ultimately defeated.
On the batting front, Peshawar Zalmi faced early setbacks, but Haseebullah Khan’s aggressive innings provided a much-needed boost, scoring a brisk 37 runs off just 18 balls.
Despite contributions from other batsmen such as Paul Walter and Rovman Powell, Zalmi’s innings was characterized by frequent wicket losses, culminating in a total of 179-8 at the end of their allotted overs.
As Peshawar Zalmi beat Multan Sultans in nail-biting match, Multan Sultans’ bowling unit, spearheaded by David Willey, Mohammad Ali, and Usama Mir, displayed commendable performances, picking up crucial wickets to stem Zalmi’s scoring momentum.
