Multan smash Islamabad to storm into maiden PSL final

Sohaib Maqsood, Johnson Charles and Khushdil Shah starred with the bat before Sohail Tanvir and Blessing Muzarabani took three wickets each to help Multan Sultans slam Islamabad United by 31 runs in the Qualifier of the Pakistan Super League 2021 on Monday (June 21). They will now play their first-ever final against the winner of Eliminator 2 - Islamabad or Peshawar Zalmi.

Sultans, who made their first appearance in the playoffs last year but were knocked out after losing to Karachi Kings in the Qualifier and to Lahore Qalandars in the Eliminator, made sure they did not make any mistakes this time around. United – 2016 and 2018 winners – will have another chance of progressing to the final as they will play Peshawar in the Eliminator 2 on Tuesday.

In their pursuit of 181, United lost three wickets inside three overs – two to Tanvir, who accounted for Colin Munro (0) and Shadab Khan (0). United were reeling at 61 for 5 in the 10th over before in-form Usman Khawaja was joined by Hussain Talat. The pair contributed 50 off 28 for the sixth wicket before Tanvir – who was brought in for his final over in the 15th over took the prized wicket of Khawaja. He top-scored with a 40-ball 70, striking nine fours and a six.

Zimbabwe international Muzarabani accounted for Iftikhar Ahmed (16 off 15), Talat (25 off 25) and Faheem Ashraf (0) and ended up with 3 for 31. The left-arm seamer Tanvir ended up with figures of 3 for 17.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Sultans scored 180 for 5 on the back of Maqsood's fourth half-century this season. The right-handed hard-hitting batsman top-scored for his team with 59 off 41, smashing seven fours and three sixes.

He stitched a 63-run partnership with Charles (41 off 21, three fours, three sixes) for the fourth wicket after Sultans had lost Shan Masood (25 off 22) and Rilee Rossouw (0) in the eighth over to Shadab. Captain Mohammad Rizwan had earlier perished for a duck in the second over of the innings.

Khushdil Shah (42 not out off 22, five sixes) struck four sixes in the 19th over of the innings which helped Sultans post a formidable score on the board. He knitted an unbeaten 43-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Tanvir (12*).

For United, Faheem Ashraf and Shadab took two wickets apiece.

(With inputs from PSL release)