LAHORE: The atmosphere at Gaddafi Stadium was electric on Saturday night, with a packed crowd cheering passionately for the home team. And Lahore Qalandars gave them plenty to celebrate.
Thanks to explosive innings from Daryl Mitchell and Sikandar Raza, Lahore Qalandars defeated Multan Sultans by five wickets, climbing to second in the HBL Pakistan Super League standings. Meanwhile, Multan’s struggles continued, as they remained rooted to the bottom of the table, with their playoff hopes taking another hit.
Chasing a target of 186, Qalandars were in trouble at 95-4, but a stunning 89-run partnership off just 41 balls between Mitchell (64 off 38, 4 fours, 4 sixes) and Raza (40 off 21, 2 fours, 4 sixes) turned the game around. They reached the target with six balls to spare.
Fakhar Zaman gave Lahore a solid start with 28 off 22 but was dismissed in the final over of the powerplay. Abdullah Shafique, who survived a dropped catch on 20, added 34 before falling to Ubaid Shah, who struck twice in one over, also removing Sam Billings for a duck.
At 95-4, the match hung in the balance before Raza launched a counterattack, smashing a four and six off Michael Bracewell to bring up the 100. Mitchell joined the assault, playing a bold scoop off Mohammad Hasnain, and both batters targeted Josh Little in the 16th and 17th overs to power past 150.
Mitchell eventually fell to Akif Javed, but by then the match was nearly sealed. Raza finished it off in style, taking Lahore to 186-5 in 19 overs.
Multan Post Competitive Total
Earlier, Multan Sultans posted 185-3 after being put in to bat, led by captain Mohammad Rizwan’s unbeaten 76 off 48 balls (6 fours, 3 sixes) and Kamran Ghulam’s 52 not out off 31 (2 fours, 4 sixes). The duo added a commanding 115-run partnership off 59 balls to propel their side to a strong total.
Multan scored 39-1 in the powerplay, losing Yasir Khan after his quick 24. Usman Khan contributed 18 but was dismissed by Mitchell. Shai Hope was bowled by Tom Curran for just 9, leaving Multan at 70-3 at the halfway mark.
Kamran’s aggressive stroke play and Rizwan’s calculated acceleration ensured a late flourish. Rizwan brought up his half-century in 41 balls and found the boundary regularly in the final overs. Kamran raised his fifty in 30 balls as Multan crossed 180, though it ultimately wasn’t enough.
Score Summary:
Multan Sultans – 185/3 in 20 overs
- Rizwan 76*, Kamran 52*, Yasir 24
- Mitchell, Curran, and Haris took a wicket each
Lahore Qalandars – 186/5 in 19 overs
- Mitchell 64, Raza 40*, Abdullah 34
- Ubaid 2-34, Hasnain and Little took one wicket each
Result: Lahore Qalandars won by five wickets.
Points Table (After the Match)
| Team | M | W | L | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | +2.342 |
| Qalandars | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | +0.543 |
| Kings | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | -0.217 |
| Zalmi | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -0.362 |
| Gladiators | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -0.625 |
| Sultans | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | -1.562 |
