The opening match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 8 saw Lahore Qalandars beat Multan Sultans by just one run at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday. The loss ended Multan’s winning streak on their home ground, where they had won all four matches played earlier.
Put into bat, Lahore Qalandars managed to post a decent target of 176 runs on the scoreboard, thanks to a brilliant innings by Fakhar Zaman, who scored 66 runs off 42 balls and completed his 2000 runs in the PSL. Young opener Mirza Tahir Baig also put in a good performance, scoring 36 runs off 26 balls before being dismissed by Akeal Hossain.
In reply, Multan Sultans got off to a flying start with their openers, Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood, putting up a 100-run partnership for the first wicket. Rizwan scored his 13th fifty of the PSL with a brilliant innings of 75 runs in 50 balls. Masood also put in a good performance, scoring 35 runs in 31 balls before being sent back to the pavilion by Hussain Talat.
However, the Qalandars fought back through their ace bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi, who bowled Rizwan, and Haris Rauf, who dismissed South Africa’s power-hitter David Miller. The left-arm pacer bowled a fiery yorker to clean up Miller after he scored 25 runs. The Qalandars also managed to take out Kieron Pollard, who was caught trying to run for two.
In the end, Multan needed 15 runs in the last over, which was given to young Zaman Khan. Zaman came off age and pulled off a brilliant win for his team in tense last over drama. Zaman kept the big boundaries until the second last ball where Khushdil nhit him for a 4 needing a 6 on the last ball to secure a win for Multan. However, Khushdil could only manage to hit a 4 off the last bowl leaving Multan 1 runs behind the Lahore Qalandars total.
