The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That brings us to the end of our coverage for this PSL encounter. Multan Sultans wins their second game on the trot. Two more matches lined up tomorrow. Do join us then but for now this is me (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) bidding adieu on the behalf of my fellow commentator and good mate Rajarshi Das.
Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans captain): We didn't think that the match could get so close. Our bowlers bowled brilliantly. They executed the plans well. When we started our batting, we felt it wasn't too easy. We cannot really speak on our strengths as I rely on the balance. If we pick any players, everyone is doing their job. The pitch was a bit difficult than the previous encounter.
Mohammad Ali is the Player of the Match, here is what he had to say: It's all about repetitions. It's about targetting the right areas. The wicket in Multan assists the pacers and if you put the ball in the right areas, especially at the top of off stump you will get the success. We try to execute the plans as set by the team. Coming from red ball to white ball is not difficult for me. It's all about remaining consistent as I feel that red ball is the most difficult format.
Time for the post-match presentation ceremony.
Abbas Afridi: We have two matches and we are trying to execute the plans of our captain and coach. On these wickets, you have to target the lengths. I didn't target the lengths in the first two overs which I changed in the next two. Went for some slowers as well which worked. Umar Gul has been helping me around and guiding me how to bowl to different batters. I have worked on my variations.
Shadab Khan, Islamabad United captain: We were 10-15 runs short. Brilliant how we fought. As a captain, I wanted my team to express themselves. Attitude is something you can't control. Pitch was a bit difficult, so I wanted to give chances to the proper batters. Hopefully, it'll change next game. I'm still an all-rounder, Coxy's a proper batter. We bowled bad balls at the wrong time, specially in the last over that I bowled. Might have been a different ball game had I finished well. We hardly scored runs, but we fought well, that's the beauty of the game. Had we taken our catches, might have been a different ball game. We have an amazing team in regard to the depth we have in our bowling and batting. This wasn't our day, but we fought till the last over, shows how good the team is.
Multan Sultans won by 5 wickets (with one delivery to spare)
Reeza Hendricks 58(46) | Mohammad Ali 3/19(4) Agha Salman 52(43) | Naseem Shah 2/27(4)
On the back of a superb knock from Reeza Hendricks and a useful contribution from Mohammad Rizwan, the Multan Sultans managed to chase down a tricky target of 145 despite a bit of a stutter in the middle overs and then towards the end. They ended up winning by 5 wickets and with a delivery to spare. Reeza scored a well-compiled 58 but was dismissed at a crucial stage of the game with the Multan Sultans still needing 20 more runs from 15 deliveries.
It was Mohammad Rizwan and Dawid Malan who came out to open the innings for the Sultans in pursuit of 145. Rizwan got a reprieve on the very first ball and went on to capitalise on that dropped chance from Imad Wasim. Naseem wasn't too disappointed and castled Dawid Malan with a beauty of an inswinger. Rizwan and Reeza Hendricks steadied the ship with a fine partnership.
Rizwan took the occasional chances and smoked two lusty sixes besides hitting six fours en route to his knock of 43 off 33 deliveries. It was Shadab Khan who got his wicket on the very first delivery of his spell. The wicket couldn't quite help the Islamabad United claw their way back in the game. Hendricks batted for a long time and pressed on the accelerator in the 17th over when he smashed Shadab for 18 runs in one over which shifted the momentum totally in Multan's favor.
He was dismissed next over by Tymal Mills but by then the equation was down to 20 required off 15. Iftikhar Ahmed and David Willey then smashed a few lusty blows and got them over the finish line. Naseem Shah started off brilliantly with the new ball and was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/27 in 4 overs. Shadab and Imad Wasim bowled in the right areas but Shadab went for plenty in his final over which turned out to be a decisive moment in the game.
19.5 Tymal Mills to Iftikhar Ahmed, that's it, Multan Sultans get past the line off the penultimate delivery and the crowd erupts! Wide yorker from Mills, Iftikhar digs this one towards Faheem at point, Willey is early to set off as Iftikhar responds. Faheem has a shy at the keeper's but misses, wouldn't have mattered had he hit because Willey was well in by then! Multan Sultans have their second win in two games, the margin this time being 5 wickets with a ball to spare!
Just 1 more required off 2 deliveries.
19.4 Tymal Mills to David Willey, Mills with the yorker, Willey moves away, gets good bat on it as he slices it towards the man at sweeper cover. Willey wants the second, but Iftikhar sends him back
;'/></svg>){kind=small}
Multan Cricket Stadium
Video
;'/></svg>)
