Zalmi Continue Dominance with Clinical Win Over Sultans
KARACHI: A commanding knock from Kusal Mendis, coupled with a decisive bowling spell by Sufiyan Muqeem, guided table-toppers Peshawar Zalmi to a 24-run win over Multan Sultans in the 22nd fixture of Pakistan Super League Season 11 at National Bank Stadium on Monday.
Chasing a challenging 197, Multan never quite found momentum and ended on 172/8, slipping to their second loss of the competition.
Their innings got off to an early setback when Sahibzada Farhan departed for 17 inside the first three overs with the score at 30. A steady rebuild followed through a 55-run stand between Steve Smith and Josh Philippe, but Muqeem turned the game on its head by removing both in the same over.
Philippe struck a lively 32 off just 17 balls, hitting six boundaries, while Smith contributed a more measured 31 from 29 deliveries.
Vice-captain Shan Masood then tried to anchor the chase, building useful partnerships with skipper Ashton Turner (20) and Arafat Minhas, before falling in the 16th over. Masood top-scored with a brisk 35 off 19 balls.
From there, the innings unraveled quickly. Nahid Rana removed Minhas cheaply and later dismissed Mohammad Wasim Jr in a tight penultimate over. Aamir Jamal then closed things out efficiently, conceding minimal runs at the death.
Muqeem led Zalmi’s bowling effort with 3/30, while Iftikhar and Rana claimed two wickets each.
Earlier, Zalmi posted a strong 196/6 after being asked to bat first. Openers Mohammad Haris and Babar Azam provided a rapid start, adding 48 runs in quick time. Haris was particularly aggressive, smashing 38 off just 17 balls before falling in the fifth over.
Babar added 18 but struggled for fluency and was dismissed in the eighth over. Mendis then took charge, forming a crucial 63-run stand with Farhan Yousaf, who chipped in with a quick 30.
Mendis continued to dominate, later adding useful runs alongside Michael Bracewell. He eventually top-scored with a fluent 68 off 40 deliveries, decorated with fours and sixes.
Late contributions, including a brief cameo from Iftikhar Ahmed, pushed Zalmi close to the 200-mark.
For Multan, Peter Siddle and Mohammad Ismail picked up two wickets each, while Mohammad Nawaz and Wasim Jr took one apiece, but their efforts were not enough to prevent Zalmi from securing their fifth win in six matches.
