ABU DHABI: Multan Sultans won their maiden Pakistan Super League title by thumping 2017 champion Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs in the final on Thursday.
Sohaib Maqsood celebrated his Pakistan recall at 34 after five years with an unbeaten 65, and South African Rilee Rossouw reserved his best for the final by smashing 50 off 21 balls in Multan’s imposing total of 206-4.
Peshawar, which opted to chase after winning the toss, got brief momentum from veteran Shoaib Malik’s 47 off 28 balls but was restricted to 159-9.
Legspinner Imran Tahir claimed his three wickets in his last over while Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabbani picked up the important wicket of power-hitter Hazratullah Zazai early to take the sting out of Peshawar’s run chase.
Multan came back strongly into the tournament after the league was moved to Abu Dhabi this month, winning four of its last five league games. It also beat favorites Islamabad United in the qualifier.
Multan struggled in Karachi with a solitary win from five games in February until the league was suspended when several players and support staff tested positive for the coronavirus.
Peshawar was third time unlucky, falling in the final for a third time alongside 2018 and 2019.
Maqsood played a key role in Multan’s turnaround in the tournament and, yet again, showed off his aggressive batting to finish the league with 428 runs.
Peshawar captain Wahab Riaz seemed to have the final controlled by the halfway mark but Hazratullah Zazai dropped Maqsood on 6 at extra cover in the 11th over which proved costly.
Maqsood and Rossouw combined in a 98-run partnership off only 44 balls as Riaz and Amad Butt finished with identical expensive figures of 0-52. Both batsmen hit 11 fours and six sixes between them as Multan added 124 runs in the last nine overs and took the game away from Peshawar.
Fast bowler Sameen Gul, who played after Umaid Asif was suspended on Thursday for breaching the bio-secure bubble, claimed 2-26 as the rest of the bowlers struggled to contain the free-flowing batting of Maqsood and Rossouw.
Multan beats Peshawar in Pakistan Super League final in Abu Dhabi
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Multan beats Peshawar in Pakistan Super League final in Abu Dhabi
- Multan Sultans won their maiden PSL title by thumping 2017 champion Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs
- Multan came back strongly into the tournament after the league was moved to Abu Dhabi this month
Veon Group invests $20 million in Pakistan’s Mobilink Bank to accelerate digital Islamic banking
- The investment builds on $15 million capital deployed by Veon in January 2025
- The capital will be used to scale the bank’s micro, small and medium enterprises
KARACHI: Global digital operator Veon Group has announced an investment of $20 million in Pakistan’s Mobilink Bank to support its growth and digital Islamic banking expansion in Pakistan, it said on Friday.
Mobilink Bank is a part of Veon Group, a global digital operator that provides services to over 150 million connectivity customers and over 140 million monthly active digital users. The Nasdaq-listed company operates across five countries that are home to more than 6 percent of the world’s population.
The investment builds on $15 million capital deployed by Veon in January 2025 and underscores its confidence in Mobilink Bank’s growth momentum and its integrated digital financial ecosystem with JazzCash, amid the rapid expansion of Pakistan’s digital banking and microfinance sector, according to Veon Group.
The capital will be used to scale Mobilink Bank’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) financing portfolio, advance its Islamic banking offerings, and strengthen its evolution into a technology-driven, digitally native bank, with a continued focus on expanding regulated financial access for underserved communities.
“This investment will accelerate the expansion of our shariah-compliant Islamic banking offerings, helping small businesses formalize cash flows, access regulated credit, and build long-term financial resilience,” said Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary, president and chief executive officer of Mobilink Bank.
“As a future-ready digital bank, our focus remains on delivering practical, technology-enabled financial solutions that empower entrepreneurs — particularly women and underserved communities — across Pakistan.”
Mobilink Bank’s expanding deposit base and MSME-oriented lending portfolio are enabling small businesses to transition from informal cash usage to regulated banking, while targeted women-centric financial products and green financing initiatives support inclusive growth and resilience in the face of Pakistan’s climate and economic challenges, according to a statement issued by Veon Group.
Mobilink Bank, together with JazzCash, which serves over 57 million customers and is supported by a nationwide network of more than one million merchants and agents, anchors one of Pakistan’s largest digital financial ecosystems. During the year, JazzCash processed gross transaction value exceeding Rs15 trillion ($53 billion), underscoring the scale, resilience, and impact of fintech in advancing financial inclusion, social mobility, and responsible digital innovation across Pakistan.
The investment reflects Veon Group’s broader digital strategy of strengthening high-impact financial ecosystems through technology-led solutions and disciplined capital deployment, positioning Mobilink Bank as a key contributor to Pakistan’s evolving financial sector, according to the global digital operator.
“This continued stream of investment from VEON underscores our long-term commitment to Pakistan and confidence in the structural shift underway in the country’s digital financial services ecosystem,” Veon Group Executive Committee Member and Chairman Mobilink Bank, Aamir Ibrahim, was quoted as saying.
“It strengthens Mobilink Bank and JazzCash’s ability to execute on our strategic priorities, invest in resilient technology infrastructure, and contribute to the development of inclusive and sustainable digital banking.”
