A bizarre incident occurred during the Pakistan Super League X on Tuesday night during the match between Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars. At the centre of the chaos was young pacer Ubaid Shah, who not only turned the match on its head with a brilliant spell but also inadvertently caught the attention of fans on social media for an accidental knock on his own teammate.
The moment unfolded after Ubaid dismissed the dangerous Sam Billings during Qalandars' mammoth 226-run chase. Overcome with adrenaline, Ubaid spun around. He leapt in triumph, only to accidentally strike keeper Usman Khan on the head with an open palm.
Usman, wearing just a cap and not a helmet, looked momentarily dazed, prompting immediate concern from the Multan camp. Thankfully, a quick medical check confirmed he could continue, and his reassuring thumbs-up soon put everyone at ease.
The incident, captured on camera, spread like wildfire across social media, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about moments of the tournament.
Despite the unintentional hit, Ubaid’s impact on the match was unmistakable. He finished with three wickets while conceding 37 runs to help the Sultans to a solid 33-run victory in Multan.
Earlier, Multan had posted a mammoth 229, which proved too steep for Lahore Qalandars despite flashes of resistance. Lahore started strong, racing to 38 inside the first four overs before Mohammad Naeem’s dismissal. Fakhar Zaman threatened with a quickfire 32 off just 14 deliveries, but his departure halted the momentum.
A promising 36-run partnership between Abdullah Shafique and Daryl Mitchell steadied the innings briefly, yet Multan struck back to leave Lahore reeling at 87/4.
As the asking rate climbed, Sam Billings and Sikandar Raza attempted to pull off a heist, but couldn't steer a comeback despite their quickfire knocks.
Billings’ 43 off 23 balls, packed with four sixes and two fours, gave Qalandars hope, but once he fell, the chase lost steam again.
Raza’s 50 off 27 was bold, but not enough as Lahore finished on 195/9, falling 34 runs short.
In the end, Multan Sultans had their first points of the season after facing three successive defeats earlier in the tournament.