Multan Sultans ended Quetta Gladiators’ three-match winning streak in the 11th match of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9 at Multan Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Mohammad Rizwan’s squad successfully defended the 181-run goal, displaying precision with the ball as the Gladiators’ batsmen struggled to make an impression.
During the chase, the Gladiators struggled, scoring only eight runs in the first two overs against Mohammad Ali and David Willey.
Ali bowled Jason Roy in the third over, and Willey bowled Saud Shakeel in the sixth, leaving the team at 42-2.
Despite the loss, skipper Rilee Rossouw and rising prospect Khawaja Nafay kept the ship afloat with a 60-run partnership.
However, Rossouw’s surprise dismissal tilted the balance in favor of the Sultans.
The wickets continued to fall, as the Gladiators could only score 167 runs in the allotted overs, suffering their first PSL 9 defeat by 13 runs.
The Sultans began their innings energetically, with opener Usman Khan hitting three boundaries off Akeal Hosein in the opening over, and finished with a score of 14/0. However, Usman Khan was bowled by mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed in the third over after scoring 14 runs.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan played an important role, building a 79-run partnership with Hendricks and reaching his half-century before retiring for 51 runs off 42 deliveries. Despite Quetta’s apparent control, Hendricks and Tahir transformed the game in the final four overs, contributing a combined 58 runs and taking the Sultans to a competitive total.
Hendricks scored 72 runs off 47 balls before departing in the last over, while Tahir remained unbeaten with 35 off 22. Notably, just before the conclusion of Sultans’ innings, a ball struck Quetta’s wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed’s head, leading to his replacement by Mohammad Sajjad as a concussion substitute.
