Islamabad United continued their unbeaten march in PSL X, securing a fifth straight victory and a historic 10th consecutive win in the league across seasons, as they downed Multan Sultans by seven wickets at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday night.
Chasing a target of 169, United made light work of the run-chase, reaching 171 for three in just 17.1 overs, courtesy of a commanding unbeaten 80 off 45 balls from opener Andries Gous. The South African batter struck six fours and five sixes en route to his maiden PSL half-century, anchoring the innings with composure and flair.
Islamabad’s streak of 10 wins is now the longest in PSL history, surpassing Multan Sultans’ previous record of eight consecutive victories.
Gous lost opening partner Sahibzada Farhan (22 off 12) early, but found solid support in Colin Munro, who smashed a brisk 45 from 28 balls. The pair added 81 runs for the second wicket off just 48 deliveries. After Munro’s dismissal in the 11th over, Mohammad Nawaz chipped in with a handy 21 (19 balls) to forge a 55-run partnership with Gous, taking United to the brink of victory.
For the Sultans, Michael Bracewell, Chris Jordan, and Ubaid Shah managed a wicket apiece, but the bowling effort lacked penetration against United’s power-packed batting unit.
Earlier, Multan Sultans opted to bat first and posted 168 for five. Openers Mohammad Rizwan (36 off 37) and Yasir Khan (29 off 17) provided a solid 51-run foundation before Nawaz removed Yasir. Usman Khan then accelerated the innings, smashing a fluent 61 off 40 balls with four boundaries and four sixes. His 65-run partnership with Rizwan was the backbone of Multan’s innings.
Shadab Khan, who became the first spinner to reach 100 PSL wickets, broke the crucial stand by dismissing Rizwan and later picked up Usman to tilt the momentum. United’s bowlers closed the innings well, conceding just 42 runs in the last five overs and picking up key wickets, including Bracewell and Iftikhar Ahmed.
Kamran Ghulam provided a late flourish with a six and a four in his 10 not out from six balls, but the total proved inadequate against a red-hot Islamabad outfit.
Scores in brief:
Match 13 – Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans by 7 wickets at Multan Cricket Stadium
Multan Sultans: 168-5 in 20 overs (Usman Khan 61, Mohammad Rizwan 36, Yasir Khan 29; Mohammad Nawaz 1-13, Shadab Khan 1-30)
Islamabad United: 171-3 in 17.1 overs (Andries Gous 80*, Colin Munro 45, Mohammad Nawaz 21; Chris Jordan 1-24)
Player of the Match: Andries Gous (Islamabad United)
Thursday’s Fixture: Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore – 8:00 PM PKT
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