Multan Sultans defeated Peshawar Zalmi by four wickets in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 match played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Friday.
Multan Sultans Riley Rossouw helped his team set a new PSL record during the match, chasing the 243 runs set by Zalmi, days after Quetta Gladiators chased down the record 241 runs against the same team. .
Rossouw was brilliant as he broke his own record for the fastest century in the PSL. The left-handed batsman scored a hundred off just 41 balls. His previous record was a 43-ball century against Quetta Gladiators in 2020.
The left-handed batsman scored 121 runs with 12 boundaries and eight sixes to help the Sultans chase down the mammoth with five balls to spare.
In the absence of regular skipper Babar Azam, who was sidelined due to temperature, Zalmi took two early wickets. But Rossouw, along with Kieron Pollard, scored 99 runs off 43 balls and turned the game into his team’s.
Pollard scored a brilliant fifty to help the Sultans chase down the big target, smashing 52 runs off 25 balls, including five maximums and three boundaries.
Anwar Ali finished the game for Sultans. After the second most expensive game in the PSL today, Anwar contributed with the bat for his team. He was not out of the match scoring 24 runs off just eight balls.
Azmatullah Omarzai took two wickets while Mujeeb shared wickets for Ur Rahman, Arshad Iqbal, Wahab Riaz and Saim Ayub Zalmi.
Earlier, Zalmi’s openers Babar and Saim set the perfect tone for their team to another big total.
Babar and Saim combined for 134 runs to help Zalmi score 242-6 in 20 overs, the second highest total in this year’s PSL.
The skipper scored a fifty with a better strike rate and Saim once again dominated from the front. Babar scored 73 runs, including nine boundaries and two maximums, while Saim made 58 off 33.
Mohammad Haris, Zalmi’s wicket-keeper batsman, scored a quick 35 off 11 balls and contributed crucial runs to the team’s total. In the end, Tom Kohler-Cudmore played 38 off 18 balls with the power of the batting.
Abbas Afridi was the pick of the bowlers for the Sultans as he picked up four wickets.
Playing XI
Peshawar Zalmi: Mohammad Haris (wk), Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cudmore, Hasibullah Khan, Rovman Powell, Aamer Jamal, Wahab Riaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Arshad Iqbal
Sultans of Multan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Shan Masood, Riley Rossouw, Khushdil Shah, Tim David, Kieron Pollard, Anwar Ali, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Sheldon Cottrell, Ihsanullah
