Dashing Rizwan leads Sultans to stunning win over Qalandars.

Byline: Khalid H. Khan

KARACHI -- Multan Sultans got themselves off the mark in the HBL Pakistan Super League 6 fixture after on the back of captain Mohammad Rizwan's dazzling batting form to hand Lahore Qalandars their first loss in three matches at the National Stadium here on Friday.

In the first clash of the double header - with Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators playing under lights - Multan kept up with the formula of team batting second and winning -an occurrence seen so far for the seventh time on the trot.

Despite losing two quick wickets upfront, they cruised home serenely to the 158-run target. Sohaib Maqsood, the out-of-favour Pakistan batsman, sealed a seven-wicket triumph by pulling fast bowler Haris Rauf on the roof with 20 balls left unused.

The result was never in doubt once Rizwan and Sohaib had stitched together 110 runs during their 67-ball partnership, and although they survived few close shaves through dropped catches and the ball dropping in the no man's land on several occasions, there was no way Lahore Qalandars were going to prevent Multan Sultans pulling off their fourth win in eight meetings between them.

Rizwan was the lynchpin behind Multan's 19th success in the PSL history and the 28-year-old was at the forefront yet again with a wonderful 76 - in a 49-ball gem embedded with 12 exquisite boundaries - and would have targeted another century had he taken a selfish route. Far from that, he allowed Sohaib space to express himself with a typically swashbuckling innings of 61 from 41 balls (seven fours and two sixes).

The wicket-keeper's run in T20 cricket has been phenomenal since the New Zealand tour, Rizwan's lowest score in the format had dipped the 40-run mark with a remarkable scoring sequence of 89, 104 not out, 51, 42, 71, 41 and now 76 from the last seven innings. It was a great gesture from Shaheen Shah Afridi to profusely pat Rizwan on the head after claiming his prized wicket.

The worrying point for Multan Sultans, however, was the poor form of Chris Lynn as the Australian's horrible run continued for the third straight innings. After scoring a single apiece against Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi, the right-hander was undone by a magnificent yorker from Shaheen Shah Afridi that knocked back the off stump.

Earlier, Lahore Qalandars just couldn't find their rhythm after Rizwan opted to field at the toss. The startling fact from the first half of the afternoon match was Mohammad Hafeez getting...

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