The Multan Sultans held their nerve to defeat the Karachi Kings by 11 runs in a pulsating Pakistan Super League clash at the National Stadium on Saturday. Defending a total of 207, the Sultans survived a breathtaking late assault from Abbas Afridi and Hasan Ali before eventually bowling the Kings out for 196 in the final over to secure a dramatic victory.
The win pushed Multan to second place on the PSL points table with 10 points, keeping their playoff push firmly on track. Karachi, meanwhile, slipped to a fourth consecutive defeat and remain on seven points, leaving their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
Sultans Build on Explosive Start
Josh Philippe and Shan Masood gave Multan a platform that the rest of the batting lineup built on effectively. Philippe, looking sharp after a week-long break, smashed 44 off 23 balls at the top of the order. His assault on Abbas Afridi in one particularly brutal over yielded 25 runs, including two sixes and a four. Masood was equally destructive at the other end, stroking 46 off 25 deliveries with particular aggression against the spinners, taking Adam Zampa for three boundaries in a single over.
As the innings progressed, Mohammad Imran kept the momentum going with a blistering cameo of 26 off eight balls, including 21 runs off Hasan Ali’s final over. That late burst proved decisive as Multan plundered 45 runs in the closing three overs to post 207 for 7.
Khushdil Shah was the only Kings bowler to show genuine discipline, finishing with three wickets for 35 runs. He removed Steven Smith early, then came back to dismiss Philippe and Awais Zafar at key moments. However, his efforts were not enough to contain an innings that consistently found gaps and boundaries.
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Kings’ Chase Unravels Early
Karachi needed a strong start to chase 207 but found themselves in early trouble instead. Young spinner Arafat Minhas struck twice during the power play, having Jason Roy caught in the deep before bowling Salman Ali Agha. Peter Siddle added to their misery by bouncing out Saad Baig in the sixth over, and the Kings were suddenly staring down a steep uphill climb.
Moeen Ali and Reeza Hendricks gave the chase a temporary lifeline, stitching together a 67-run partnership that brought Kings back into the contest. Hendricks was the more fluent of the two, top-scoring with 49 off 32 balls and hitting consecutive fours to keep the required rate within reach. Nevertheless, when he fell in the 13th over, Kings still needed 79 from 35 balls with five wickets already gone. The equation had grown too steep.
Late Fightback Falls Short
The final act of the chase belonged to Abbas Afridi and Hasan Ali. They launched one of the more entertaining lower-order counterattacks of the PSL season. Abbas attacked straight away, hitting back-to-back slog sweeps off Momin Qamar before taking Arafat for consecutive boundaries. Hasan joined in with a towering six over square leg, and together they trimmed the requirement to 23 off the final 12 balls.
That is where Peter Siddle stepped up. The experienced Australian seamer varied his pace smartly in the 19th over, dismissing Abbas and conceding only five runs to swing the match decisively back toward Multan. Hasan was then run out in the final over while attempting to retain strike, bringing the Kings’ spirited fightback to an end.Arafat Minhas finished with 3 for 32, while Siddle claimed 2 for 32 in a performance that showcased the value of experience in high-pressure moments. The pitch, prepared with Australian soil for the double-header, played true and produced a proper batting surface throughout. Ultimately, Multan’s early strikes and composure under pressure made the crucial difference in a match that had everything a T20 contest should.
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