Multan Sultans edge Karachi Kings in high-scoring clash

Multan Sultans held their nerve to defeat Karachi Kings by 11 runs in a high-scoring PSL 11 encounter at the National Stadium in Karachi. Multan Sultans’ victory came despite a late surge from Abbas Afridi and Hasan Ali, securing two crucial points and lifting them to No. 2 on the table with 10 points.

Karachi Kings, chasing 208, were bowled out for 196 after a dramatic finish in the final overs.

Late surge falls short despite Abbas and Hasan charge

Karachi appeared out of the contest when Moeen Ali was dismissed at the start of the 15th over, leaving them needing 79 off 35 balls with half the side already dismissed. However, Abbas Afridi reignited the chase with aggressive hitting, including back-to-back slog sweeps off Momin Qamar.

He followed it up with consecutive boundaries off Arafat Minhas, while Hasan Ali added immediate impact with a six over square leg. A dropped chance off Hasan added to the tension as the equation quickly narrowed.

The turning moment came when Abbas and Hasan took 17 runs off a Mohammad Imran over, reducing the target to 23 off 12 balls with two wickets in hand. At that stage, the chase had swung back into contention.

Peter Siddle then delivered a decisive over, conceding just five runs and breaking the momentum. In the final over, Hasan Ali was run out while attempting to retain strike, sealing the result in Multan’s favour.

Abbas Afridi scored 34 off 16 balls, while Hasan Ali contributed 23 off 10, but their efforts ultimately fell short.

Earlier breakthroughs and middle-overs control

Multan’s defence was built on key breakthroughs during the powerplay. Arafat Minhas removed Jason Roy and Salman Ali Agha in successive overs, while Peter Siddle dismissed Saad Baig with a short ball in the sixth over.

A 67-run partnership between Moeen Ali (27 off 23 balls) and Reeza Hendricks (49 off 32) kept Karachi in the chase through the middle overs. However, the scoring rate lagged behind the required rate, leaving too much to do at the back end.

Hendricks’ dismissal in the 13th over, shortly after hitting consecutive boundaries, increased the pressure, forcing the lower order into high-risk hitting.

Arafat Minhas finished with 3 for 32, while Siddle took 2 for 32 to play crucial roles in restricting the chase.

Philippe and Masood set the platform

Multan Sultans’ total of 207 for 7 was built on strong contributions from the top order. Josh Philippe scored 44 off 23 balls, while Shan Masood made 46 off 25, both setting the tempo early.

Philippe attacked aggressively after arriving at the crease, including a 25-run over against Abbas Afridi that featured two sixes and a four. Masood targeted the spinners, collecting all six of his boundaries against spin, including multiple hits off Adam Zampa, Moeen Ali and Khushdil Shah.

Khushdil Shah kept Karachi in the contest with figures of 3 for 35, removing Steven Smith, Philippe and Awais Zafar at key stages.

Multan accelerated strongly at the death, adding 45 runs in the final three overs. Mohammad Imran’s late cameo of 26 off just eight balls included 21 runs from the final over bowled by Hasan Ali, pushing the total beyond 200.

What this result means

This win moves Multan Sultans up to second on the PSL 11 table with 10 points, strengthening their push towards the playoffs. For Karachi Kings, the defeat marks a fourth consecutive loss, leaving them on seven points and increasing pressure in the race for qualification.

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