Multan Sultans Reach Another PSL Final

Multan Sultans secured a remarkable win against Peshawar Zalmi in the qualifier round of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9, thanks to an outstanding display by Usama Mir and a confident half-century by the young talent, Yasir Khan.

Zalmi emerged victorious in the toss and opted to bat first during the match held at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday.

The tournament’s ninth edition featured a clash between last year’s finalists, the Multan Sultans, and Babar Azam’s Zalmi team in the initial semi-final.

The Zalmi batting performance faced a setback when pacer David Willey removed opener Saim Ayub in the very first over.

Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris stabilized the innings until the wicketkeeper lost his wicket as Zalmi surpassed the 50-run milestone. The team’s score continued to rise as Babar and Tom Kohler-Cadmore exceeded the 100-run mark. Chris Jordan then bowled out the Zalmi captain with a precise yorker.

Mir dismissed Kohler-Cadmore after he scored 24 runs in the sixteenth over, causing a decrease in boundaries for the Zalmi squad. Rovman Powell hit two fours in the 17th over before Jordan dismissed him in the subsequent over.

Yasir Khan initiated the Sultans’ innings with captain Mohammad Rizwan and hit emerging Mehran Mumtaz for a six on the second delivery of the initial over.

An opening partnership of 60 runs between them reduced the run rate to under 7 before Ayub caught Rizwan at square.

Yasir and Usman maintained the momentum by exchanging singles, with Yasir reaching his fifty off 30 balls, showcasing a remarkable performance as an opener. The emerging Mehran Mumtaz eventually dismissed him after he scored 54 runs.

The game took an interesting turn when Salman Irshad dismissed Johnson Charles with a yorker, following a few tight overs from the Zalmi team. Iftikhar Ahmed’s three boundaries in one over reduced the required run rate to 4.66. With eight runs scored in the penultimate over, the Multan Sultans secured a spot in the final of PSL 9.

Usama Mir was named Player of the Match for his impressive bowling performance, taking two wickets for 16 runs in his four overs. Next, the Zalmi team will compete against the winner of the first eliminator match today between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators.