Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi booked their place in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final for the fourth consecutive year with a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Peshawar Zalmi in the Qualifier on Thursday.
Zalmi’s Struggles with the Bat
Zalmi captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bat first, but his team struggled to find momentum against the Sultans’ bowling attack. David Willey dismissed Saim Ayub in the first over, and Mohammad Haris soon followed, edging Mohammad Ali to the keeper.
Babar top-scored for Zalmi with 46 off 42 balls, but he lacked support from his teammates. Spinners Usama Mir and Iftikhar Ahmed stifled the batters in the middle overs, and Chris Jordan’s variations restricted the scoring in the death overs. Zalmi finished their innings on a below-par 146-7.
Sultans’ Clinical Chase
In response, Sultan’s openers Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan provided a solid foundation with a 61-run partnership. Yasir scored a match-winning 54 off 30 balls, while Usman Khan remained unbeaten on 36.
Iftikhar Ahmed finished the chase with a quick-fire 22 off eight balls, guiding Sultans to victory with nine balls to spare.
Player of the Match
Usama Mir was named Player of the Match for his impressive bowling figures of 2-16 in four overs. His wickets of Babar and Salman Irshad proved crucial in restricting Zalmi’s total.
Road to the Final
Sultans will now await the winner of the Eliminator between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators, who will face Zalmi on Saturday. The final will be played on Monday, March 17.
Sultans will aim to win their second PSL title, while Zalmi will hope to reach the final for the first time since 2019.
