Defending champions Lahore Qalandars inflicted the first defeat on Multan Sultans in Pakistan Super League 11, romping to a 20-run victory while defending 185 in a rain-shortened 13-over match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday, April 3.
Player of the Match Mohammad Naeem’s explosive 60 off 28 balls and Parvez Hossain Emon’s quickfire 45 off 19 balls in an 86-run opening partnership set the platform before the bowlers held firm to defend a steep total.
Match Summary
After a delay of nearly two hours due to persistent rain, Ashton Turner won the toss and chose to bowl in a contest reduced to 13 overs per side. The decision backfired immediately.
Debutant pacer Mohammad Ismail conceded 26 runs in the opening over, including 10 in wides, setting a new record for the most expensive first over in HBL PSL history. Naeem and Emon pounced, racing to 50 in 3.2 overs and ending the shortened powerplay at 66 without loss.
They eventually finished on 185/5, making their runs at a rate of 14.23 per over, the fastest ever in Pakistan Super League history. No team in the league’s history had faced 10 overs in their innings and gone at over 14 before.
Mohammad Naeem’s Match-Winning Knock
Mohammad Naeem top-scored with a blazing 60 off 28 deliveries, studded with four sixes and as many fours. Abdullah Shafique and Naeem raised a 58-run partnership at a brisk pace before both perished in successive overs, falling prey to Ismail and Faisal Akram respectively.
Mohammad Naeem completed a 24-ball half-century, but Sultans began to slowly drag an innings that looked destined to cross 200 in the final few overs. Sikandar Raza hit back-to-back boundaries on the final two deliveries of the innings to ensure a decent finish for the three-time champions.
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Sultans’ Chase Falls Short
Set to chase a daunting 186-run target in 13 overs, the 2021 champions could accumulate only 165/5. The Sultans got off to a shaky start as they lost Steve Smith and Josh Philippe inside the batting powerplay, comprising 3.5 overs, with just 18 runs on the board.
Sultans’ innings resembled the kind they might have required all along if they were going to run the Qalandars target down. Shan Masood smashed 44 off 17 in an entertaining knock while Turner turned it on right at the back end. The final nine overs saw Sultans plunder 136, but Qalandars had done the job with the ball in the first four overs.
Mustafizur Rahman was the standout bowler for the Qalandars, taking two wickets for 37 runs in his three overs, while Ubaid Shah, Sikandar Raza, and captain Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with one scalp apiece.
Lahore Qalandars vs Multan Sultans: Detailed Match Analysis
| Detail | Lahore Qalandars | Multan Sultans |
| Total Score | 185/5 (13 overs) | 165/5 (13 overs) |
| Top Performer | Mohammad Naeem – 60 (28) | Ashton Turner – 52* |
| Key Contributor | Parvez Hossain Emon – 45 (19) | Shan Masood – 44 |
| Supporting Batter | Abdullah Shafique – 33 (14) | Sahibzada Farhan – 24 |
| Match Result | Won by 20 runs (DLS method) | Lost |
| Player of the Match | Mohammad Naeem | — |
Pakistan Super League 2026 Points Table & Team Standings
Lahore Qalandars sit third in the PSL 2026 standings with four points from three matches, but their NRR of +1.546 is the strongest of any team in the top four, giving them a meaningful edge over Multan Sultans who share the same points tally.
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | PTS | NRR |
| Karachi Kings | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +0.486 |
| Islamabad United | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | +1.055 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +1.546 |
| Multan Sultans | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +0.303 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +0.674 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +0.093 |
| Rawalpindi Pindiz | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.414 |
| Hyderabad Kingsmen | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.077 |
Two wins and one loss so far tells only part of the story, the margin of those wins has been significant, and that run rate advantage could prove crucial when the playoff picture starts to take shape later in the tournament.
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