Multan Sultans top table after comprehensive win over Karachi Kings

Multan Sultans registered a spectacular win over the Karachi Kings after an all-round performance at the Multan Cricket Stadium. 

The Kings won the toss and opted to bowl. Multan’s batsmen got off to a positive start. In the absence of James Vince, Zeeshan Ashraf was promoted above the order but went off cheaply, handing a catch to Babar Azam.

Moeen Ali and Shan Masood built a partnership, heading their team to a competitive total. Both started playing some reckless shots taking bowlers to the cleanesr. In an attempt to accelerate the scoreboard, Ali got out after scoring 65 including four boundaries and four sixes. Masood also completed his half-century before succumbing to Chris Jordan.

Multan’s lower-order wasn’t enough to make them cross 200. Khushdil Shah and Ravi Bopara tried hard but could not hit the ball with the sweet spot of their bats. Mohammad Amir and Jordan made a strong comeback conceding just 20 runs in the last three overs. Sultans finished at 186-6, Umer Khan went over less while Imad Wasim bowled just one over.

Chasing 187, Karachi’s batsmen looked clueless after losing their main player Babar Azam. Alex Hales' arrival, however, injected energy back into the chase. The Englishman smashed four fours and a six by in just 20 balls. He got caught at the point after scoring 29 runs.

That dismissal paved the way for Multan’s bowlers to step-up. The Sultans' spinners came in the game and batsmen were struggling to tackle them. Imran Tahir made a strong impact in the game after dismissing Cameron Delport. As Shahid Afridi got the wicket of Wasim, the Karachi Kings fell down to 75-5 in 9.4 overs.

Karachi’s lower-order wasn’t enough to handle the pressure and the whole team was bundled out for 134 with three overs to spare. Umaid Asif showed some resistance with a couple of sixes but didn’t get support from the other end. Their 40-year-olds - Tahir and Afridi picked three and two wickets respectively.

Moeen Ali was named the Man of the Match for his impressive knock of 65 runs. The home crowd came out in large numbers to support their team and see them over the line. With this win, Multan Sultans go to the top of the table having three wins out of four with a strong run-rate of 1.372.

Cover image credits: Yahoo Sports