ISLAMABAD: Multan Sultans ascended to the top of the points table, outclassing the Quetta Gladiators with a decisive 79-run victory at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Tuesday night.
Setting the tone with a robust 185-4, the Sultans were propelled by Mohammad Rizwan’s masterful half-century, earning him the Player of the Match accolade. Johnson Charles complemented the effort with a fiery innings, ensuring a competitive total on the board.
“The captain led from the front,” the Sultans exclaimed in a social media post with Rizwan’s photo. “The Player of the Match tonight.”
The Sultans’ bowling attack, led by David Willey and Usama Mir, dismantled the Gladiators’ lineup, bundling them out for just 106. Both bowlers claimed three wickets each, turning the game into a one-sided affair and solidifying Multan’s position at the top.
This triumph marks a significant milestone, securing the Sultans’ place in the Pakistan Super League 9 qualifier alongside Peshawar Zalmi, scheduled at the National Bank Stadium on March 14 at 9 PM.
The defeat serves as a wake-up call for the Quetta Gladiators, who will face their first PSL playoff challenge in four years against Islamabad United on Thursday.
Quetta’s chase faltered early, with Willey (3-22) trapping Jason Roy lbw and Saud Shakeel getting run out, setting the tone for their downfall. Willey’s impeccable yorker to dismiss captain Rilee Rossouw and Laurie Evans’s catch at mid-wicket further tightened Multan’s grip on the match.
Mir, leading the tournament’s wicket tally, then dispatched Quetta’s top scorer Omair Yousuf (37) and quickly wrapped up the tail, handing the Sultans an emphatic win with time to spare.
Rizwan’s consistent performance, marked by his fourth half-century of the season and second against Quetta, alongside Charles’s late onslaught and Iftikhar Ahmed’s quickfire 20 off eight balls, exemplified the Sultans’ dominant display.
