PSL 2021 Final (Twitter/PSL)PSL 2021 Final, Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi Highlights: Mohammad Rizwan-led Multan Sultans beat Wahab Riaz-led Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL final by 47 runs to win the PSL 2021 title. The Sultans scored 206/7 batting first. Zalmi gave fight till Imran Tahir took three wickets in the 17th over of the chase to settle matters. Zalmi finished with 159/9 in 20 overs, as the Sultans celebrated their maiden title.
What a way to win your first title! @MultanSultans were dominant with both bat and ball! The team from the city of saints was blessed tonight! #HBLPSL6 | #MatchDikhao | #MSvPZ pic.twitter.com/peh4v87g0E
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) June 24, 2021
Road to the Final: Sultans registered a convincing win over table-toppers Islamabad United to reach the final whereas Zalmi beat Karachi Kings and Islamabad in both eliminators to reach their fourth PSL final. Peshawar Zalmi have been PSL winners in the 2017 edition.
Watch Highlights:
Butt is out as another top edged is pouched by Rizwan, who is 1 wicket away from celebrating the title for Multan Sultans. Md Irfan plays out 5 dot balls to take us to a 40th over of the day, but the inevitable does happen finally. Gull also plays out dot balls. They end at 159/9. Multan Sultans beat Peshwar Zalmi by 47 runs.
2 wickets in 2 balls! Imran Tahir has routed the Peshawar resistance. From 150/5, Imran Tahir has reduced them to 151/8. Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Imran leave in a procession of golden ducks.
PZ 152/8 after 17.1
Amad Butt joins Rutherford and gets on with it - four in the first over. Imran Tahir brought back at the death and he does the trick for the Sultans. Rutherford is caught behind. The Zalmi have lost their batting lineup, could there be a rearguard resistance? Wahab Riaz walks out at 8.
PZ 150/3 after 16.3, need 57 runs in 21 balls
Powell edges one behind to Rizwan, Muzarabani gets a second crucial wicket. Sherfane Rutherford comes in at 6 and starts off with a four and a six. This chase is on! Disaster at the other end, as Shoaib Malik, their highest scorer, finally falls for 48.
PZ 137/5 after 15.1, need 70 runs off 29 balls
Shoaib Malik, with Rovman Powell in tow now, build a platform for the Zalmi to launch their final assault. Shoaib Malik lets rip a mini-blast as 15 runs come off Imran's over.
PZ 103/3 after 13
Jonathan Wells and Shoaib Malik try to steady the ship for the Zalmi, the big wickets of their openers having rocked it considerably. And there's a run out! Wells fails to make his ground and is gone for a 13-ball 5. Dismal reading in a 200+ chase.
PZ 58/3 after 9.2
The chase rolls along smoothly till the destructive Zazai falls in the 6th over. Was being kept away from strike for a while and he responds by failing to read the slower ball, gone for a 5-ball 6. Big wicket for Multan. And then there's a double whammy. Akmal, who was piling on the runs, is bowled by Imran Khan. Gone for 36.
PZ 42/2 after 6.1
Kamran Akmal and Hazratullah Zazai open the innings for Peshawar. Sohail Tanvir takes the new ball for Multan. And it's Akmal who slashes away the first boundary of the chase.
PZ 7/0 after 1
Sameen Gul bowls a 19th over against the flow. 5 runs and 2 wickets come in it. Johnson Charles falls for a golden duck right after Roussow falls. Amad Butt brought back to bowl the 20th over, but he cannnot follow up with a tight over. Maqsood and Khushdil Shah plunder 21 runs off the last over. Multan Sultans score 206/4 in 20 overs.
Imran, the wicket taker, is put to the sword by South African Rilee Roussow, who scores 37 runs off 2 overs to give the scoring rate a huge boost. Gets to his 50 off 20 balls.
MS 180/2 after 18
Rizwan's stay also comes to an end, he departs for a run a ball 30. Imran the wickettaker again. Sohail Maqsood and Rilee Roussow come in at 3 and 4 and find their feet against the turn.
MS 127/2 after 14
Rizwan's stay also comes to an end, he departs for a run a ball 30. Imran the wickettaker again. Sohail Maqsood and Rilee Roussow come in at 3 and 4 and find their feet against the turn.
MS 127/2 after 14
Amad Butt is brought on in the 8th over as the UAE pitches continue offering help to seamers. That help is what provides the breakthrough for the Zalmi, as Masood's stumps lie clattered. He is bowled by Mohammad Imran, out for 37.
MS 68/1 after 8.4
Singles to end the Powerplay, Sultans at 42/0 after 6 overs. Wahab Riaz brings himself on in the 7th over and is dispatched to the midwicket fence for four by Masood. 50 comes up in the 7th over.
MS 54/0 after 7
Rizwan unleashes in the 4th over - 10 runs off the over, before Masood also hits form in the 5th over - 15 runs off it. A hail of boundaries come up in the later Powerplay overs, as the score moves rapidly into the 30s.
MS 37/0 after 5
Masood defends for the whole of the first over. It started with a wide, but it ends as a maiden over. Rizwan takes strike for the 2nd over, Mohammad Irfan bowls. Rizwan finds the gap on the off side with a slice but runs are hard to come by otherwise.
MS 7/0 after 2
Shan Masood and Rizwan walk out to open the Sultans innings. Can their heavyweight openers fire them off to a good start? Sameen Gul has the new ball in hand and he starts iff with a wide, let's hope Zalmi's title ambitions are not that far off the mark.
MS 1/0
Peshawar Zalmi win the toss and opt to field first.
Multan Sultans: Shan Masood, Mohammad Rizwan (capt & wk), Sohaib Maqsood, Rilee Roussouw, Johnson Charles, Khushdil Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Imran Tahir, Blessing Muzarabani, Imran Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani
Peshawar Zalmi: Hazratullah Zazai, Kamran Akmal (wk), Jonathan Wells, Shoaib Malik, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Amad Butt, Wahab Riaz (capt), Sameen Gul, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Imran
The 2021 PSL season, disrupted due to the pandemic, and shifted to Dubai, is coming to a head on Thursday night, with the Zalmi, the favourites on paper, taking on Sultans. Toss and team news in a few minutes.