Multan Sultans Crush Lahore Qalandars by 33 Runs in Record-Breaking HBL PSL X Showdown
In a blistering display of power-hitting, Multan Sultans kickstarted their HBL PSL X2025 campaign with a commanding 33-run victory over defending champions Lahore Qalandars, posting a record-shattering 228/5, the highest-ever PSL total in Multan.
Opener Yasir Khan (87 off 44) tore into Lahore’s star-studded pace attack, smashing Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Zaman Khan with disdain. His assault included three sixes in one over off Zaman, while Mohammad Rizwan (32 off 20) piled on the misery with a 20-run over against Rauf. Despite Asif Afridi briefly halting the charge by dismissing Rizwan, Usman Khan (39 off 22) and Iftikhar Ahmed (40* off 18) ensured the carnage continued, with Rauf leaking 54 runs in just three overs.
Facing a mammoth target, Lahore’s chase never gained momentum. Sikandar Raza (50*) and Sam Billings (43) offered resistance, but regular wickets—courtesy of Ubaid Shah (3-37), Michael Bracewell (2-20), and Usama Mir (2-26)—kept them behind the rate. The Qalandars ultimately folded for 195/9, well short of the mark.
Qalandars’ hopes rested heavily on Fakhar Zaman, who launched a brutal assault on David Willey, smashing 30 runs off his first two overs. The left-hander even took down the usually economical Michael Bracewell for a six, raising Lahore’s hopes. However, the momentum shifted when Ubaid Shah entered the attack. Fakhar’s massive heave off Ubaid sailed sky-high, but Josh Little held a stunning catch near the boundary, ending his whirlwind 32 off 14 balls.
Abdullah Shafique and Daryl Mitchell briefly kept Qalandars in the hunt with a brisk 36-run stand off 22 balls. But the ever-climbing required rate (over 13 runs per over) proved too steep. The Sultans’ bowlers struck three quick wickets, removing Shafique, Mitchell, and Rishad Hossain, leaving Sam Billings and Sikandar Raza with a near-impossible task.
Billings (43) threatened a late surge, hammering 16 runs off Josh Little’s 11th over, while Raza also found boundaries. But the decisive moment came when Ubaid Shah (3-37) deceived Billings with a slower ball, resulting in a top-edge caught by Kamran Ghulam. The young pacer’s overzealous celebration, accidentally hitting Usman Khan in the face, added a comic twist, but the match was already beyond Lahore’s reach.
Sikandar Raza (50 off 27) played a lone hand in the death overs, slamming a few towering sixes to bring up his fifty on the final ball. However, the Qalandars’ fate was sealed long before, finishing at 195/9.
