PSL 2024: Usman Khan and Usama Mir perform admirably as Multan Sultans defeat Lahore Qalandars by 60 runs

Dharmendra2 kumar

getcricketnews|28-02-2024

Multan Sultans cruised to a 60-run triumph against the home team Lahore Qalandars after a clinical performance with the bat and ball on Tuesday night in the 14 th fixture of the HBL PSL 9 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Sultans rode on the brilliant batting performance of Usman Khan, player of the match, and wizardry of Usama Mir who rewrote history books with his six-wicket haul to bag their fifth win. Qalandars have now lost six games on the trot in the ninth edition of HBL PSL.

Lahore Qalandars opening batters, Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman, brought up 50 runs on the board in five overs before Fakhar's (23, 16b, 3x4s) stumps were castled by pacer Aftab Ibrahim.

In the following over, Sahibzada departed for 31 off 21 balls courtesy of Khushdil Shah. Wrist-spinner Faisal Akram, making his HBL PSL debut, was introduced into the attack and took no time to bag his maiden wicket as he outfoxed Kamran Ghulam (12, 9b, 2x4s) on the fifth ball of the 10th over.

Sikandar Raza then launched an assault on Usama's first over, hitting two consecutive sixes and amassing 16 runs.

Faisal returned to put an end to Sikandar's (17, 7b, 2x6s) cameo with Reeza Hendricks pouching the ball at deep midwicket. Shaheen, walking in to bat at six, smoked his third ball for a maximum only to be stumped two balls later for just nine off five balls with the scorecard reading 120-5.

Lahore Qalandars lost their last five wickets for a mere 34 runs as Usama wreaked havoc with the ball.

The collapse began with Rassie van der Dussen (30, 22b, 1×6) holing out to Rizwan at deep midwicket where the Multan skipper took a brilliant catch.

A ball later Usama dismissed George Linde, who returned for five off seven balls, while Jahandad Khan copped a goldenfive-wicket haul.

Three balls later Usama wrapped up the Qalandars' innings as he dismissed Zaman Khan for a solitary run leaving Brathwaite stranded on an unbeaten 14 off 7 balls.

Usama, with his haul of six for 40, reaped the best bowling figures for a spinner in HBL PSL history. He also became the only spinner in the tournament's history to bag six wickets in an innings. Faisal returned with two wickets while Aftab and Khushdil bagged one each.

Earlier, Multan Sultans won the toss and opted to bat first. Shaheen Shah Afridi struck in his first over to remove Mohammad Rizwan, for a five-ball duck, with a magnificent delivery that came back to crash into stumps as the batter attempted a drive.

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