KARACHI: The opening pair of Shan Masood and captain Mohammad Rizwan hit half-centuries to power defending champion Multan Sultans to a five-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League on Saturday.
Left-handed Masood made 83 off 50 balls while Rizwan’s (69) sublime form in the T20s continued as he scored his second successive half-century in Multan’s record-breaking chase of 209-5 with two balls to spare. It was the highest-ever successful chase in the PSL, which is in its seventh season.
Opener Fakhar Zaman’s blistering 76 off 35 balls had earlier set up Lahore’s strong total of 206-5 after Rizwan won the toss and opted to field.
With 17 required off the last two overs, Lahore skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-40) pushed Multan in a tight corner by conceding only one run and claiming the wickets of Sohaib Maqsood (20) and Tim David (1).
But left-hander Khushdil Shah (18 not out) hit experienced Haris Rauf for three fours and a six in the final over to seal a thrilling win for Multan, which beat Karachi Kings in the season opener Thursday.
The star-studded Lahore bowling lineup teetered Thursday against Masood and Rizwan. Afridi and Rauf were erratic in their opening spells of two overs each while Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan (1-28) had to wait until his fourth over to break the 150-run opening stand.
Masood hit 14 fours and a six in his masterful knock before he was undone by Rashid’s googly which knocked back the off stump in the 15th over. Rizwan, who hit six fours and three sixes, was bowled around his legs by Afridi’s full-pitched delivery before Shah’s cameo saw Multan over the line in the last over.
Earlier, Fakhar set the tone of Lahore’s big total by smashing 11 fours and two sixes before he was smartly caught at short fine leg by diving Imran Khan as he tried to flick fast bowler Ihsanullah in the 12th over.
Kamran Ghulam made a useful contribution of 43 off 31 balls but it was Rashid’s two sixes and a four in Shahnawaz Dahani’s (1-44) last over that took Lahore over the 200-run mark.
Multan beat Lahore in record-breaking PSL chase
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Multan beat Lahore in record-breaking PSL chase
- Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan hit half-centuries to power Sultans to a five-wicket win
- Fakhar Zaman’s blistering 76 off 35 balls earlier set up Lahore’s strong total of 206-5
Pakistan, China to sign multiple MoUs at major agriculture investment conference today
- Hundreds of Chinese and Pakistani firms to attend Islamabad event
- Conference seen as part of expanding CPEC ties into agriculture, trade
KARACHI: Islamabad and Beijing are set to sign multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to boost agricultural investment and cooperation at a major conference taking place in the capital today, Monday, with hundreds of Chinese and Pakistani companies expected to participate.
The conference is being billed by Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research as a platform for deepening bilateral agricultural ties and supporting broader economic engagement between the two countries.
“Multiple memorandums of understanding will be signed at the Pakistan–China Agricultural Conference,” the Ministry of National Food Security said in a statement. “115 Chinese and 165 Pakistani companies will participate.”
The conference reflects a growing emphasis on expanding Pakistan-China economic cooperation beyond the transport and energy foundations of the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into agriculture, industry and technology.
Under its first phase launched in 2015, CPEC, a core component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, focused primarily on transportation infrastructure, energy generation and connectivity projects linking western China to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan. That phase included motorways, power plants and the development of the Gwadar Port in the country's southwest, aimed at helping Pakistan address chronic power shortages and enhance transport connectivity.
In recent years, both governments have formally moved toward a “CPEC 2.0” phase aimed at diversifying the corridor’s impact into areas such as special economic zones, innovation, digital cooperation and agriculture. Second-phase discussions have highlighted Pakistan’s goal of modernizing its agricultural sector, attracting Chinese technology and investment, and boosting export potential, with high-level talks taking place between planning officials and investors in Beijing.
Agri-sector cooperation has also seen practical collaboration, with joint initiatives examining technology transfer, export protocols and value-chain development, including partnerships in livestock, mechanization and horticulture.
Organizers say the Islamabad conference will bring together government policymakers, private sector investors, industry associations and multinational agribusiness firms from both nations. Discussions will center on investment opportunities, technology adoption, export expansion and building linkages with global buyers within the framework of Pakistan-China economic cooperation.
