Lahore Qalandars Secure Thrilling Rain-Shortened Victory Over Multan Sultans

Lahore Qalandars successfully defended their home turf on Friday night, defeating Multan Sultans by 20 runs in a match heavily impacted by weather. A two-hour rain delay forced officials to reduce the contest to 13 overs per side, turning the game into a relentless sprint from the first ball.

The home side posted a massive 185/5 before their bowling unit, led by Mustafizur Rahman, restricted the Sultans to 165/5. The result marks the first defeat for the Sultans in the ongoing tournament, ending their undefeated streak.

Naeem and Emon Set the Pace

After being put in to bat, the Qalandars’ openers wasted no time. Mohammad Naeem and Bangladesh’s Parvez Hossain Emon unleashed a boundary-laden assault, putting up 86 runs in just the first five overs. Naeem emerged as the standout performer, smashing 60 off 28 deliveries, a knock that eventually earned him the Player of the Match award. Emon provided the perfect support with a quickfire 45 off 19 balls, including five sixes.

Abdullah Shafique kept the momentum alive with a brisk 33, while a late cameo from Sikandar Raza ensured the Qalandars set a daunting target of 186—an asking rate of over 14 runs per over.

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The Sultans’ Valiant Chase

The chase started on shaky ground for Multan as they lost Steve Smith and Josh Philippe early during the 3.5-over powerplay. With the scoreboard reading a sluggish 18/2, the pressure was on. Shan Masood attempted to shift the momentum with a counter-attacking 44 off 18 balls, but his dismissal in the 10th over left the Sultans with too much to do.

Captain Ashton Turner refused to go down without a fight, playing a captain’s knock of 52* from just 22 balls. Alongside young Arafat Minhas (25), Turner brought the Sultans within striking distance, but the clinical death bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mustafizur Rahman proved too much to overcome.

Standout Bowling Figures

Mustafizur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers for the Qalandars, finishing with figures of 2/37 in his three overs. Debutant Muhammad Ismail had a rollercoaster evening for the Sultans; after conceding 26 runs in his opening over, he showed immense character to bounce back and claim two crucial wickets, finishing as his side’s most successful bowler despite the high economy rate.

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