ISLAMABAD: Multan Sultans brushed aside Peshawar Zalmi, beating the “Yellow Storm” by seven wickets at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Thursday to reach the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament for a fourth consecutive time.
Batting second, the Sultans were handed a modest 147-run target by Zalmi, who finished at 146/7 from their 20 overs. Skipper Muhammad Rizwan could only score 15 runs from 21 balls before he was dismissed by Aamer Jamal.
Opener Yasir Khan scored 54 runs from 37 balls while Usman Khan remained unbeaten on 36. A 22-run blitz from Iftikhar Ahmed sealed the win for the Sultans.
“Clinical. Commanding. Teamwork puts us in the driving seat once again,” the Sultans wrote on social media platform X after clinching the convincing victory.
Batting first, Zalmi were unable to stop the flurry of wickets that kept falling throughout the innings. Skipper Babar Azam top-scored with 46 runs from 42 balls before a blistering yorker from Chris Jordan sent him back to the pavilion.
Opener Saim Ayub failed to impress, scoring only one run from four balls before he was dismissed by David Willey. Mohammad Haris scored 22 runs from 14 balls while Tom Kohler-Cadmore gave some support to the Yellow Storm in the middle by scoring a run-a-ball 24.
Jordan returned figures of 2/28 while Usama Mir finished with 2/16 to keep the Zalmi batters restricted to 146/7. Abbas Afridi, Willey and Mohammad Ali all took a single wicket each for the Sultans.
Zalmi will face the winner of Friday’s match between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators on Saturday, in Eliminator 2.
The winner of Eliminator 2 will go on to meet the Sultans in the final on Mar. 18.
Multan Sultans thrash Peshawar Zalmi to storm into fourth consecutive PSL final
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Multan Sultans thrash Peshawar Zalmi to storm into fourth consecutive PSL final
- Multan Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi by seven wickets in Karachi to qualify for final
- Peshawar Zalmi will face the winner of Friday’s Eliminator 1 for a place in the final
Pakistan backs ‘One-China’ policy amid renewed Taiwan tensions
- Foreign Office calls China ‘iron-clad’ friend and strategic partner
- Taiwan is claimed by Beijing but governs itself as a democracy
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Friday expressed support for China, saying the country would adhere to the “One-China principle,” with Taiwan regarded as part of Chinese territory.
The development comes after Beijing intensified military pressure with large-scale live-fire drills and simulated blockade exercises near the island, viewed as a show of force to deter foreign support for Taiwan’s independence. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and seeks eventual reunification, but Taiwan operates as a self-governing democracy that resists Beijing’s control.
Addressing a media query, Andrabi described Pakistan and China as “iron-clad” friends and “all-weather strategic cooperative partners.”
“We reiterate our consistent support for China on all matters of its core interests, including Taiwan,” he added. “We will continue to adhere to the One-China principle and regard Taiwan as an inalienable part of China.”
Beijing launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships and coast guard vessels earlier this week to encircle Taiwan. The show of force came after the United States approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan.
The United States has been committed for decades to ensuring Taiwan’s self-defense, while staying ambiguous on whether the US military would intervene in an invasion.
China’s latest exercises were the sixth major round of maneuvers since 2022, when a visit to Taiwan by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi enraged Beijing.
These developments have heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait, raising concerns about regional stability and the risk of conflict.
