Multan Sultans 227 for 4 (Farhan 106*, Smith 46, Ayub 2-43) beat Hyderabad Kingsmen 225 for 5 (Sadaqat 62, Sharjeel 51*, Wasim 2-37) by six wickets
Wednesday night’s game was played on the pitch that staged the first two matches and it had all the ingredients for a high-scoring contest. It was dry, flat, and had a tinge of grass in the middle to hold it together, which made the ball come onto the bat well and the batters felt comfortable playing across the line.
After a tight first over from Maheesh Theekshana, which resulted in only six runs, Smith set the chase alight by smashing Riley Meredith for a four and six on the first two balls of the second over and Ayub for two massive sixes in the third over. Farhan took apart Hassan Khan and Theekshana in the next two overs, smashing three sixes and as many fours.
There is always an element of luck involved in such knocks and Farhan was provided a reprieve by Irfan Khan Niazi, arguably Kingsmen’s best fielder, soon after he had reached 50 off 25 balls when he put down a regulation catch at long-on. Kingsmen provided another chance to Sultans in the 14th over when Usman Khan missed a simple stumping of Shan Masood, after which he plundered 16 runs from the next three legal balls before finally getting caught at deep square leg off Ayub.
Any hopes of Kingsmen achieving their first PSL win were buried in the next over when Farhan dispatched Marnus Labuschagne’s leg-breaks for two sixes and a four in an over that added 21 runs to Sultan’s total and brought down the equation to 38 from 30 balls.
Kingsmen’s fast bowler Mohammad Ali told the host broadcaster before the match that the conversations in the dressing room were positive despite demoralising defeats against Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators and it showed when Ayub and Sadaqat came out to bat after their captain elected to bat, a decision that backfired because of heavy dew.
The pair provided a flying start and Kingsmen – batting first for the first time in PSL – had the third-best powerplay score of this edition with 74 for 1 after six overs. Sadaqat hit five sixes and as many fours over the course of his scorching 26-ball 62 and Usman struck three sixes, all in the same Momin Qamar over, in his 25. Sharjeel, playing his first PSL since the 2023 edition, demolished Shehzad Gul in a 30-run over – the 18th of the innings – clubbing three sixes and two fours as the left-arm quick bowled two waist-high full tosses as he struggled to grip the wet ball. Gul ended with none for 60 from four overs.
Sultans, after wins in both games, have now jumped to the top of the table and Kingsmen stay at the bottom after three defeats from as many matches.
