Peshawar Zalmi clinch thrilling victory over Multan Sultans in PSL nailbiter

In a thrilling encounter in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Peshawar Zalmi secured their first win of the season by defeating table-toppers Multan Sultans by five runs in a nail-biting finish.

Peshawar Zalmi posted a total of 179-8 after winning the toss, with notable contributions from Haseebullah Khan (37 off 18 balls), Babar Azam (31), Rovman Powell (23 off 11), and Luke Wood (17 off 12).

In response, Multan Sultans launched a spirited chase, led by Dawid Malan’s explosive 52 off 25 balls and supported by Reeza Hendricks’ steady 28 off 27 balls. However, the Sultans lost wickets at crucial junctures, with leg-spinner Arif Yaqoob wreaking havoc with three wickets in the 17th over.

Despite a valiant effort from Iftikhar Ahmed, who smashed two boundaries and a six off the final over, Multan Sultans fell agonizingly short, finishing at 174 all out.

The match witnessed high drama until the last ball, with Afghan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq maintaining his composure to clinch victory for Peshawar Zalmi. Ul-Haq dismissed Iftikhar Ahmed with a crucial catch behind the stumps after a video referral and then bowled out the last man, Shahnawaz Dahani, on the final delivery.

With this victory, Peshawar Zalmi opened their account in the PSL season, while Multan Sultans suffered their first home loss in four matches, despite still leading the table on net run rate.