Right then, that is it to from this absolute run-fest. It is the Multan Sultans who make it two wins in a row. However, the action in the 8th edition of Pakistan Super League 2023 continues on 18th February, Saturday when Karachi Kings take on Quetta Gladiators. That game will begin at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT). Do join us early for the build-up. Until then, goodbye and cheers!

Mohammad Rizwan the skipper of Multan Sultans says that the way the opponents started and with Mohammad Haris going well there was a slight worry but they were confident of defending the target. Mentions that the wicket was difficult when they were batting and it seemed to have eased out a bit in the second inning. Claims that they have a lot of good batters and some young bowlers who are doing well which makes him very happy. He Credits Usama Mir for bowling really well in all three games and says that he has given him a lot of confidence as he helps the team bring back control and also takes wickets when needed.

Babar Azam the captain of Peshawar Zalmi says that their bowling was not up to the mark and the fielding was poor as well. Credits Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, and Mohammad Rizwan for their batting effort. Adds the wicket was good but losing early wickets was not ideal. Mentions that the youngsters are performing well. Praises Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub and says that conditions are different in Karachi. Ends by saying they have a good mixture of local and international players and will look to field their best eleven in the next game.

Rilee Rossouw is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for scoring 75 runs in 36 balls. He says there is no secret and he just plays the ball to its merit with what the situation demands and it paid off in this game. Claims that the wicket was tacky in the first inning but in the second inning it played well. Explains that they stuck to their guts and had wickets in hand so carried on with the good work. Ends by saying that they were looking at 160 but with the momentum they had they thought they could cross the 200-run mark, especially with who they had coming at 3,4, and 5.

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Shan Masood is up for a quick chat. He says that they didn’t want to be in a situation where they were 10-15 runs short and the batters played well to take them to a strong total. Credits Usama mir for his effort and says that the fast bowlers bowled well in tandem. Mentions that Carlos Brathwaite was really good and the way Usama Mir bowled against left and right-handers was great. Adds that he was under the pump when Rovmen Powell hit him for a few boundaries but he did well to be rewarded with the wickets in his last over. When asked about the first game he admits that they were sloppy in all there departments losing by one run but it was good for them as they could come back stronger. Claims that Rilee Rossouw coming in is important for them and he has shown why is that. Ends by saying that with more reinforcements coming they are pretty confident but it also has a lot to do with the coaching staff who have been helping them.

Earlier in the innings, after being put to bat first, Multan Sultans posted a huge total on the board thanks to fine fifties from Mohammad Rizwan and Rilee Rossouw with finishing touches coming from David Miller and Kieron Pollard. Salman Irshad managed to pick up two wickets. In reply, Peshawar Zalmi tried their best, but it proved to be too many runs for them in the end.

Multan Sultans could not continue the momentum that they had at the end of their batting inning. Ihsanullah did manage to get rid of Babar Azam on his first delivery, but they were taken apart by Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub. Then a moment of brilliance from Abbas Afridi broke that stand and got them back in the game. After that they again let the foot off the gas for a bit, but once Afridi got rid of Rovman Powell, they were all over their opponents and did not let them get back in the game. Then their bowlers got rid of the lower order with ease. Usama Mir was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets and giving away just 22 runs in his four overs. He was well supported by Ihsanullah who took three wickets as well while Abbas Afridi got a couple of scalps and Carlos Brathwaite got one to his name. It was a team performance and they outplayed their opponents in all departments.

Peshawar Zalmi got off to a flier thanks to fine hitting from Mohammad Haris. He did get a life early on and used it well. They lost their skipper, Babar Azam early but Saim Ayub came in and showed why he is considered one of the upcoming talents in the country. They were 61/1 at the end of the Powerplay and were looking on course with the chase. Ayub and Harris continued the onslaught and did not spare anyone and added 47 runs together in no time before Harris got done by a brilliant bit of fielding. Ayub continued with Rovman Powell to take them forward and he got to his fifty as well. However, it all went downhill when Powell lost his wicket after scoring 23 off 12 balls. It started a collapse as they lost four wickets in the space of ten balls which included the set Ayub as well. In the end, they were bowled out for 154 and fell short by 56 runs.

A convincing win for the Multan Sultans! This has been a brilliant overall performance from them. After losing their first game by a whisker, they made a good comeback winning both their games by huge margins. They have thrashed Peshawar Zalmi by 56 runs and the home fans are absolutely delighted.

Salman Irshad is the last man in.

Abbas Afridi (2-0-26-1) replaces Carlos Brathwaite.

Sufiyan Muqeem comes out to the middle now.

Ihsanullah (2-0-19-1) is back on.