Naeem, Rahman help Qalandars sink Sultans in rain-shortened PSL 11 thriller
By Nawaz Gohar ; In a rain-curtailed slugfest that transformed the Gaddafi Stadium into a high-pressure cauldron, defending champions Lahore Qalandars asserted their dominance with a clinical 20-run victory over Multan Sultans.
In a match sliced to 13 overs per side, the Qalandars’ batting depth and Mustafizur Rahman’s death-over mastery proved too much for the Sultans, who suffered their first heartbreak of the PSL 11 season.
After a two-hour monsoon delay, Sultans’ skipper Ashton Turner opted to bowl, a decision that backfired almost instantly. Lahore’s new-look opening pair, Mohammad Naeem and Parvez Hossain Emon, treated the damp conditions like a batting paradise, racing to an astronomical 86 runs in just five overs.
Emon was the primary aggressor, torching debutant Muhammad Ismail for 26 in his opening over before eventually falling for a blistering 19-ball 45 (5x6s, 2x4s). However, the anchor remained Naeem,
whose swashbuckling 60 off 28 deliveries served as the backbone of Lahore’s towering 185/5. Abdullah Shafique’s quickfire 33 ensured that the momentum never dipped, leaving Multan with a mountain to climb, requiring over 14 runs per over from the onset.
Multan’s pursuit of the 186-run target started in a shambles. The “Fizz,” Mustafizur Rahman, and the young Ubaid Shah stifled the powerplay, removing heavyweights Steve Smith (9) and Josh Philippe (1) before the Sultans could even catch their breath.
Shan Masood attempted a heroic counter-attack, smashing 44 off just 18 balls to keep the scoreboard ticking. But just as the Sultans looked set to threaten, Rahman returned to induce a fatal error from Masood in the 10th over.
Despite a late-innings explosion from captain Ashton Turner, who hammered an unbeaten 52 off 22 balls (5x6s), the required rate proved insurmountable.
Turner and emerging talent Arafat Minhas (25) added 57 for the fifth wicket, but the Qalandars’ bowling quartet, led by Rahman (2/37) and supported by captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, held their nerve to restrict Multan to 165/5.
This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. Lahore Qalandars showed why they wear the crown, adapting to a “T10-style” format with aggressive intent and tactical bowling changes.
For Multan Sultans, the debut of Muhammad Ismail was a baptism by fire; despite claiming two wickets, his 47 runs conceded reflected the brutal reality of bowling to an in-form Lahore top order. As the rain cleared, the hierarchy of PSL 11 became clearer: the Qalandars are still the team to beat.
