Pakistan Super league early play off round is about to end and on points table Islamabad United is topping with 14 points in 9 matches, Multan Sultan 2nd on points table with best run rate (10 points in 9 matches), when they won with Shahnawaz Dahani’s remarkable figures of four for five and a quick-fire half-century from Sohaib Maqsood over Lahore Qalandars in the 28th fixture of HBL PSL 6 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Friday. Peshawar Zalmi who won only two matches in last five they played having 10 points in 10 matches. Karachi King who will play quite low rating Quetta Gladiators (Last and already out with 4 points in 9 matches) in PSL6 for must win match to be in contest of final four for play offs. From the stats of run rate its look like that the tie for the fourth team will be between KK and LQ and if KK won the match with outstanding performance they will face tough run rate contest with LQ and PZ to qualify for the Play offs.
In the last Pre-play off match the Qalandars, in their chase of 170, were bundled out for 89 in the 16th over.
Shahnawaz, who recorded his career-best figures, accounted for Fakhar Zaman (13 off 15, one four), James Faulkner (22 off 11, one four and two sixes), Rashid Khan (two off five) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (two off three) in his 3.1 overs.
The right-arm pacer also became the leading wicket-taker in the HBL PSL 6 with 18 wickets at 14 runs per dismissal in eight matches.
Earlier, after being put into bat by Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar, Sultans got off to a poor start as Shaheen dismissed in-form Shan Masood lbw on the first ball of the match. This was the third instance of the left-armer striking on the first ball of an HBL PSL match.
After Shan’s departure, Sohaib joined Mohammad Rizwan and the pair added 45 off 30 balls before Rizwan fell to Haris for 15 off 20 (three fours).
Johnson Charles (10 off nine, one four) was next to go with scorecard reading 60 for three in the eighth over.
The pair of Sohaib and Rilee Rossouw got together and helped Sultans stage a comeback. The pair added 63 runs for the fourth-wicket and at one stage 200 looked on the cards for Sultans but the departure of Rossouw (29 off 24, five fours) in the 15th over and Sohaib (60 off 40, three fours and four sixes) in the 17th over dried up the runs for Sultans.
That the Sultans were able to cross 150-mark and post 169 for eight was because of belligerent batting from Sohail Tanvir, who scored an unbeaten 26 off nine balls, smashing three fours and two sixes.
The left-handed batsman struck two towering sixes and three fours in the last over of the innings bowled by Haris which went for 24 runs.
For Qalandars, Shaheen picked three wickets, while Faulkner took two wickets.
Multan Sultans 169-8, 20 overs (Sohaib Maqsood 60, Rilee Rossouw 29, Sohail Tanvir 26 not out; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-23, James Faulkner 2-30)
Lahore Qalandars 89 all out, 15.1 overs (James Faulkner 22; Shahnawaz Dahani 4-5, Imran Khan Snr 3-24, Blessing Muzarabani 2-26)
Previous Match Results.
Islamabad United 247-2, 20 overs (Usman Khawaja 105 not out, Colin Munro 48, Brandon King 46 not out, Asif Ali 43)
Peshawar Zalmi 232-6, 20 overs (Shoaib Malik 68, Kamran Akmal 53, Sherfane Rutherford 29; Akif Javed 3-43, Hussain Talat 2-37)
Karachi Kings beat Lahore Qalandars by seven runs
Karachi Kings 176-5, 20 overs (Babar Azam 54, Martin Guptill 43, Imad Wasim 30 not out; Rashid Khan 2-25)
Lahore Qalandars 169-7, 20 overs (Mohammad Hafeez 36, Tim David 34, James Faulkner 33; Noor Ahmad 2-19, Mohammad Ilyas 2-41)
Saturday, 19 June –Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings; Multan Sultans v Islamabad United
