PSL8: Multan Sultans beat Quetta Gladiators by nine runs

RAWALPINDI – Multan Sultans on Saturday defeated Quetta Gladiators by nine runs in the highest-scoring match of the Pakistan Super League 8 (PSL8) at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. 

Gladiators played hard to achieve the highest total of 262 runs to win the match but they could score only 253 in 20 overs. Omair bin Yousaf (67) and Iftikhar Ahmed (53) made efforts to surpass the target but losing wickets served blows to Gladiators. 

Earlier, Quetta Gladiators have won the toss and elected field first.

Usman Khan’s record breaking blitz helped Multan Sultans post a highest total of 262 runs in the history.

Khan, who achieved a milestone of fastest century of the PSL, smashed 120 off 43 while Sultans’ skipper Mohammad Rizwan made 55 runs. Tim Davir and Kieron Pollard scored 43 and 23 runs to carry on the momentum  after Rizwan and Khan were dismissed. 

Multan Sultans team has already qualified for the playoffs after defeating Peshawar Zalmi on Friday.  Multan Sultans are ranked at third place on the points table after winning five matches out of the nine they had played so far.

Rilee Rossouw hit the fastest PSL century off 41 balls, improving his own record by two balls, and Kieron Pollard blasted a 25-ball 52 as Multan Sultans achieved the 243-run target with five balls to spare. 

Squads:

Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan ©, Shan Masood, Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Tim David, Kieron Pollard, Anwar Ali, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ilyas, Ihsanullah

Quetta Gladiators: Omair Yousuf, Martin Guptill, Sarfaraz Ahmed (c & wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Najibullah Zadran, Umar Akmal, Dwaine Pretorius, Naseem Shah, Naveen-ul-Haq, Aimal Khan

Rilee Rossouw hits the fastest PSL century to help Multan Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi