Tournament leader Multan Sultans struggled to score freely at National Stadium, Karachi as they posted 154-6 Friday in match against Peshawar Zalmi.

The match, which has been played behind closed doors, has a significance importance for Zalmi who needed a win to reach the semi-final. Sultans have already qualified for the last four.

Zalmi won the toss and elected to bowl first in a match they played without any foreign players as all foreign players of the team departed for their home countries over coronavirus fears.

Wicketkeeper batsman Zeeshan Ashraf hit a half century and Khushdil Shah scored 20-balls 30 runs to help Sultans post a respectable total.

Rahat Ali was the pick of the Zalmi bowlers as he picked three wickets for 24 runs to keep Sultans under below par score.

Rahat broke the opening partnership when Rohail Nazir nicked a delivery to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal after scoring 14 runs on as many balls including two boundaries.

Zeeshan and captain Shan Masood added 60 wickets for the second wicket before Rahat again dealt a double blow to Sultans to halt their recovery. Zeeshan edged a short delivery to keeper Kamran. He scored 52 runs off 39 balls and hit 7 fours and a six.

Rahat next clean bowled Moeen Ali in the same over who went for a duck.

Ravi Bopara was next to go after scoring 5 runs off eight balls when Hammad Azam took his catch at cover on the bowling of M Amir Khan.

Hasan Ali removed captain Shan Masood when Umar Amin took a catch at cover. He scored 28 runs off 23 balls hitting three boundaries.

Captain Wahab Riaz took the key wicket of Shahid Afridi, Afridi mistimed his shot that went up high in the air and Umar Amin ran back and took a lovely catch at cover. He scored 19 runs off 13 balls hitting one boundary and a six.

Khushdil Shah hit two sixes in his 20-ball 30 runs to help Sultans to reach 154-6.