Iftikhar Ahmad's blistering hitting went in vain as Peshawar Zalmi beat Multan Sultans in a close contest during the 21st match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Chasing a massive target of 205 runs set by Peshawar Zalmi, Sultans started the chase aggressively with Mohammad Rizwan taking the charge from ball one. But, Zalmi managed to pull things on the back of some economic overs bowled by PSL debutant Mehran Mumtaz.
His first wicket was Reeza Hendricks, who struggled during his time at the crease, managing only 5 runs in 10 balls.
Meanwhile, Rizwan played a crucial role for the team, contributing 32 runs in 24 balls at a strike rate of 133.33 but he was run out by Aamer Jamal.
Sultans' chase slowed down in the middle while Dawid Malan and Tayyab Tahir were in the middle.
Malan made a modest contribution, scoring 19 runs off 19 balls before being caught by Asif Ali, who took a stunning catch. Tayyab Tahir made 26 runs in just 18 balls.
Iftikhar Ahmed put energy to the chase with some blistering hitting with the help of Chris Jordan.
He remained unbeaten, accumulating an impressive 60 runs off 27 balls, showcasing a phenomenal strike rate of 222.22. Jordan scored a quick 30 runs in 12 balls at a remarkable strike rate of 250.00 but they fell only four runs short.
Iftikhar Ahmad and Chris Jordan partnership had lifted the Multan Sultans from 125 in 15.2 and helped them landed at 200 runs in 20 overs, leaving just five short of victory.
Babar Azam and Saim Ayoub powered Peshawar Zalmi to set a mammoth 2000 target for Multan Sultans in the 21st match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine being played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Playing first after winning the toss, Babar's team took the advantage and racked up 204/5 in the allotted 20 overs against Playoffs-bound Sultans.
Openers Saim Ayub and Babar Azam led Peshawar Zalmi’s batting charge and powered them to a massive total against Multan Sultans.