The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Multan Sultans gets on board with a convincing victory. The PSL carnival continues tomorrow with Karachi Kings and Islamabad United slated to lock horns against each other. So up until then, it's adios from the commentary box. This is Arya Sekhar Chakraborty signing off on the behalf of my fellow commentator and good friend Pradeep.
Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans captain): A win is a win. If we look at the pitch, the bowlers were obviously brilliant and stuck to their plans. Basically, you have to access the conditions. They knew that we had left-handers but given the required rate, we realized that we don’t need to take any undue risks. Dahani is our main bowler and we missed him but whatever the pacers did today will go a long way in making them household names.
Ihsanullah (Player of the Match): By god’s grace I performed very well today. Credit also goes to Rizwan bhai. Today, the ball was skidding through well, so whatever coaches told me I stuck to that. I will dedicate this performance to my parents.
Time for the post-match presentation ceremony.
Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators captain): Not a great start, we wanted to get off to a good start but didn't work out tonight but Ihsanullah was just brilliant tonight. Plan was to change the batting order if the wickets fall early and then go accordingly. We will go to Karachi and see what changes we can make and sort it out, hopefully we can bounce back. We need to consistently hit the right areas as have the pace, that's the plan going forward.
Rilee Rossouw: I'm pretty much on cruise control, playing so many games these days, felt just another game and the body is feeling pretty alright. Funny thing is, umpire told me that those two assisted on the same day I got the hundred earlier, I told them, you are my lucky charm (chuckles) playing for the home team is always nice. Everyone loves the franchise, plays with the heart, that's what the franchise is all about, we treat ourselves with respect and we can express ourselves. Next time if I can make the fifty, will change the celebration, would like to see what my daughter says.
Multan Sultans won by 9 wickets (with 39 deliveries to spare)
Quetta Gladiators 110 all-out in 20 overs Jason Roy 27(18) | Ihsanullah 5/12(4)
It was always going to be a straightforward run-chase for the Multan Sultans and the only way, the Quetta Gladiators could have clawed their way back into the game was early wickets. They did get the early wicket of Shan Massod but from there on, it was a high-class batting display by Rilee Rossouw and supported well by Mohammad Rizwan which eventually helped the Sultans chase down 111 with 6.3 overs to spare.
Nuwan Thushara sent back Masood in his very first over but Rossouw and Rizwan ensured that there was no more hiccups during the run chase. Rossouw smashed Thushara for 17 runs in the 4th over which provided the momentum to get the job done quickly. He continued the onslaught and was supported pretty well at the other end by Rizwan.
The skipper didn’t look at ease, to begin with, but started gaining in confidence in the presence of Rilee Rossouw. He took his time in the middle and nudged it around for singles as the scoreboard kept moving along. Rossouw reached his half-century in the 11th over and eventually remained unbeaten on 78 off 42 deliveries.
The roles were defined for both Rizwan and Rossouw. While Rizwan dropped anchor, Rossouw was severe on all the Gladiators bowlers and smashed 9 fours and 3 sixes during his whirlwind display with the bat. There was nothing on offer for the Quetta bowlers and they could never really stop Rossouw's carnage. Eventually, Rossouw finished the match with a couple of sixes, handing the Sultans a comfortable victory.
Earlier in the day, it was Rizwan who won the toss and put the Gladiators in. They lost three quick wickets in the powerplay and after that, it was all about Ihsanullah who ran through the middle and the lower middle order. He bagged 5 wickets for just 12 runs in his 4-over spell and was instrumental in bowling out the Gladiators for just 110 in the 19th over.
That's the game for the Multan Sultans and it has been a thoroughly professional performance from them. The Gladiators had just no answers in front of a dominating performance by Multan. Quetta Gladiators were never in the game after a below par showing with the bat and in the end, Multan Sultans romp home by 9 wickets and with 6.3 overs to spare.
13.3 Mohammad Nawaz to Rilee Rossouw, SIX! GAME, SET AND MATCH! Rossouw finishes things in style as Sultans thrash Gladiators to get back to winning ways here tonight. Length delivery on the stumps, Rossouw shimmies down the track and nonchalantly CLOBBERS it straight down the ground for a huge maximum.
13.2 Mohammad Nawaz to Rilee Rossouw, SIX! BANG! Just magnificent this from Rossouw tonight. Length delivery, fired it down the leg-side, Rossouw sends it sailing over deep backward square-leg fence for a maximum.
13.1 Mohammad Nawaz to Mohammad Rizwan, slides the length delivery on the leg-stump, Rizwan leans and clipped it gently past square-leg, they hustle back for the brace but a horrible throw from Thushara, no body backing up and there's one more run to add to it. Just sums up the game for the Gladiators!
Mohammad Nawaz [2-0-13-0] comes back into the attack.
Another over passes by and the Multan Sultans are just 15 runs away from the victory target. Iftikhar Ahmed has bowled a couple of tight overs where no boundaries have been conceded but that won't change the result though.
13
overs
96/1score
1
0
1
0
2
1
runs
Mohammad Rizwan*
25(33)
Rilee Rossouw
66(40)
Iftikhar Ahmed
0/10
12.6 Iftikhar Ahmed to Mohammad Rizwan, length delivery on the middle and leg, Rizwan whipped it to wide long-on for another single.
12.5 Iftikhar Ahmed to Mohammad Rizwan, good length on the middle and leg, Rizwan swept it away to long-leg, sweeper gets there and they decide to come back for the second, Rizwan puts in a full length dive and he's made it in time. Umpire goes upstairs to check that one, OH, the dive saves him as he just manages to get in per the replay!
The finger was raised but Rizwan was quite sure that he didn't hit that. Was close to the gloves though, clearly not bat involved. Big gap between bat and ball and Rizwan survives. He knew straightaway and went for the review.
12.4 Iftikhar Ahmed to Mohammad Rizwan, BIG APPEAL FOR A CAUGHT BEHIND, UP GOES THE FINGER! Rizwan takes the review straight away. Good length on the off-stump, Rizwan goes to reverse sweep and that might've brushed the glove along the way to the keeper. UltraEdge confirms that it goes past the toe end of the bat and was nowhere near the gloves in the end, brilliant review from Rizwan, he knew it instantly!
12.3 Iftikhar Ahmed to Rilee Rossouw, skips down the track, Iftikhar pulls the length back and Rossouw whacked it down to long-on for a single.
12.2 Iftikhar Ahmed to Rilee Rossouw, good length that drifts into Rossouw on the off-stump, leans to defend it back to the bowler.