Multan Sultans outclassed Peshawar Zalmi to win their third match of the Pakistan Super League 2021, at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, on Monday, 14 June.
Mohammad Rizwan's unbeaten 82, coupled with a stunning 61 from Sohaib Maqsood, took the sting out of the contest. Multan chased down 167 losing just two wickets and with 22 balls to spare.
Skipper Rizwan won the toss and put Peshawar in. Haider Ali and Kamran Akmal got them off a rollicking start, adding 72 runs for the first wicket partnership. Kamran fell to Shahnawaz Dhani on 35.
Dhani then struck again on the next ball as Shoaib Malik departed without troubling the scorer. From 71/0, Peshawar found themselves on 88/4 after Rovman Powell’s dismissal.
Sherfane Rutherford then made a quickfire 56 to propel Zalmi to a respectable total. For the Sultans, Dhani returned impressive figures of 4-31.
Rizwan stood up to the occasion, adding a 116-run partnership with Sohaib Maqsood for the second wicket to see the team across the finishing line. Before that, Rizwan provided the team with a rollicking start, but brought down his tempo once Shan Masood got out in the fourth over.
Rizwan made 82 off just 56 deliveries, with nine fours and two sixes. Maqsood, on the other hand, smashed five sixes en-route to his 61 before falling to Mohammad Imran.
Brief Score: Peshawar Zalmi 166/7 in 20 overs (Rutherford 56; Dhani 4-31) lost to Multan Sultans 167/2 in 16.3 overs (Rizwan 83; Irfan 1-24) by 8 wickets with 21 balls to spare. Player of the Match: Shanawaz Dhani