In a closely contested 28th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Multan Sultans held their nerve to defeat Karachi Kings by 10 runs at the National Stadium, Karachi.
Chasing a challenging target of 208 runs, the Kings fought hard but were restricted to 196 all out despite a solid effort from their batting lineup. Reza Hendricks top-scored with 49 runs, while Abbas Afridi added a quick 34 to keep the chase alive.
For Multan Sultans, Arafat Minhas delivered a match-winning spell, claiming 3 wickets for 32 runs and playing a key role in dismantling the Karachi batting order at crucial moments.
Earlier in the match, Multan Sultans posted a competitive total of 207/7 in their 20 overs. Despite an early setback with the dismissal of Steve Smith for a duck, the Sultans recovered well to set up a strong defending score.
Earlier, the Multan Sultans batted first and scored 207 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. They had a disappointing start when Khushdil Shah dismissed Steve Smith for a duck off the third ball of the second over, giving the Karachi Kings an early breakthrough.
After that, Owais Zafar and Josh Philippe steadied the innings and took the score past 50. The pair shared a 66-run partnership for the second wicket, but Khushdil Shah struck again, dismissing Josh Philippe, who played a blistering innings of 44 runs off 23 balls.
Shan Masood then came to the crease and supported Owais Zafar, helping the team cross the 100-run mark. Khushdil Shah, continuing his excellent form, also dismissed Owais Zafar, who scored 36 runs. In the very next over, Moeen Ali removed Shan Masood for 46 runs, tightening Karachi’s grip on the match.
Captain Ashton Turner was dismissed for 11 runs, while Arafat Minhas scored 17 before getting out. Hassan Ali and Adam Zampa also took one wicket each, and Mohammad Nawaz was dismissed after scoring 12 runs.
In the final over, Mohammad Imran played a brilliant cameo, helping the team cross 200 runs with two fours and two sixes. He remained not out on 26 runs off 8 balls, while Mohammad Wasim scored 7 runs.
For Karachi Kings, Khushdil Shah was the standout bowler with 3 wickets for 35 runs, Moeen Ali took two wickets, while Hassan Ali and Adam Zampa claimed one wicket each.
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