James Vince’s blistering 43-ball 101 and Khushdil Shah’s whirlwind 60 powered the Karachi Kings to a four-wicket victory against the Multan Sultans in the third match of the tenth edition of the Pakistan Super League at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
Kings Innings
Chasing a staggering 234-run target, the Kings (236-6) completed the chase with ease, with four balls remaining. Early on, the Kings were off to a jittery start, losing four wickets for just 79 runs.
David Warner (12), Shan Masood (0), and Arafat Minhas (10) failed to offer significant resistance.
Irfan Khan (5) and Abbas Afridi (9) remained unbeaten.
Vince clubbed 14 boundaries and four sixes in his scintillating ton.
Khushdil Shah clobbered five boundaries and four sixes in his fiery 60-run knock.
For the Sultans, Akif Javed (3-41) picked up three wickets.
Michael Bracewell (1-44) and Usama Mir (1-30) claimed a wicket each.
David Willey (0-40), Chris Jordan (0-48), and Shahid Aziz (0-32) remained wicketless.
Sultans Innings
Multan Sultans posted a mammoth 235-run target for Karachi Kings during the third match of PSL X, played at National Bank Stadium Karachi on Saturday, as Pakistan’s ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan produced a sublime century.
Opting to bat first, Multan posted an imposing 234 for three in their stipulated 20 overs. The total was anchored by Rizwan’s unbeaten 105 off 63 deliveries, punctuated with nine boundaries and five towering sixes.
The openers laid a brisk foundation by amassing 55 runs within the first five overs. Rizwan led the early charge in the partnership, while West Indies international Shai Hope contributed eight runs through swift strike rotation before Hasan Ali removed him on the initial delivery of the sixth over.
Subsequently, Rizwan forged a short-lived 27-run alliance for the second wicket with Usman Khan, who added 19 runs from 15 deliveries before departing.
Multan’s momentum surged further when Kamran Ghulam joined Rizwan at the crease. The duo consolidated the innings with a robust 63-run stand for the third wicket, which endured six overs. Ghulam perished in the 15th over, dismissed by Abbas Afridi after crafting a quickfire 36 from 19 balls, peppered with five fours and a six.
Rizwan then partnered with Michael Bracewell to deliver a final onslaught. Together, they compiled an unbroken 89-run partnership from just 32 balls, lifting the Sultans to an imposing total.
Bracewell remained unbeaten on 44 off 17 deliveries, hammering five fours and three sixes.
Among the Karachi Kings’ bowlers, only Hasan Ali, Abbas Afridi and Khushdil Shah managed to claim a wicket each.
TOSS
Karachi Kings have decided to field first against Multan Sultans in the third match of the tenth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the Karachi stadium on Saturday.
In the second match, Quetta Gladiators have clinched comprehensive victory against Peshawar Zalmi at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.
PLAYING XI
Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (wk & c), Shai Hope, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kamran Ghulam, Michael Bracewell, Shahid Aziz, David Willey, Chris Jordan, Usama Mir, Akif Javed
Karachi Kings: David Warner (c), James Vince, Shan Masood, Tim Seifert (wk), Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah, Adam Milne, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Ali, Fawad Ali, Abbas Afridi
