LAHORE: Sahibzada Farhan and Josh Philippe struck fluent half-centuries that powered Multan Sultans to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Rawalpindiz in the HBL Pakistan Super League at Gaddafi Stadium on Monday night. Chasing 183, Sultans reached the target with 22 balls to spare, extending their unbeaten run and tightening their grip at the top of the points table.

Sahibzada, in imperious touch, made 68 off 38 balls, laced with four boundaries and five sixes. The right-hander took the attack to the Rawalpindiz bowlers from the outset, punishing anything loose with crisp cuts and powerful sweeps.

Philippe, the Australian wicket-keeper-batter, complemented Sahibzada perfectly with a 56 off 30 deliveries, featuring six fours and three sixes. Their 110-run second-wicket stand, after Steven Smith’s early dismissal for five, dismantled the chase and left Rawalpindiz bowlers with little room to manoeuvre.

The pair batted with remarkable freedom under the lights, finding gaps with surgical precision and clearing the ropes at will. Sahibzada brought up his fifty in the ninth over with a towering six off Rishad Hossain, while Philippe joined the party soon after, launching another maximum over cow corner. Their aggressive yet calculated approach reduced the asking rate dramatically, turning what could have been a tense pursuit into a procession.

Once Philippe fell to Mohammad Amir in the 11th over, caught by Sam Billings for 56, Shan Masood and captain Ashton Turner provided the finishing touches with enterprising cameos.

Shan remained unbeaten on 27 off 15 balls, striking two fours and a six, while Turner bludgeoned an unbeaten 26 off just 10 deliveries, including a boundary and two sixes. The duo added 47 runs in quick time, ensuring Sultans crossed the line with minimal fuss.

Faisal stars

Earlier, Rawalpindiz had posted a competitive 182 for eight after being sent in to bat. Their innings was built on flashes of brilliance but undermined by regular breakthroughs, particularly from Multan’s spinners.

Faisal Akram was the standout performer with the ball, claiming four wickets for 31 runs in his four overs. The young left-arm wrist spinner operated with guile and variation, dismissing key batters at crucial junctures.

He removed Abdullah Fazal for 14, Kamran Ghulam for 35, Daryl Mitchell for 17, and Asif Afridi for seven, breaking partnerships and preventing Rawalpindiz from building sustained momentum. His spell, which included a disguised googly that accounted for Mitchell, showcased maturity beyond his years and earned him the player-of-the-match honours.

Rawalpindiz started cautiously with Mohammad Rizwan (19) and Yasir Khan (five) adding 15 in the first two overs before pacer Mohammad Ismail castled Yasir. Kamran injected momentum with a quick 35 off 24, including two sixes, but Faisal had him caught at square leg shortly after.

The middle order struggled until the lower-middle order provided late acceleration. Dian Forrester lit up the stadium with a blistering 24 off 11 balls, smashing three sixes in an over against Mohammad Nawaz to take the score past 110.

His aggressive intent briefly threatened to push Rawalpindiz towards 200, but Peter Siddle removed him for 24 with a well-judged catch by Nawaz at deep mid-wicket.

Billings then took centre stage, anchoring the innings with a composed yet attacking 56 not out off 34 balls. The Englishman, who walked in at number six, found the boundary seven times and cleared it once, forming useful partnerships with Forrester and the tail.

His late charge, combined with Forrester’s fireworks, lifted Rawalpindiz from a precarious 94 for five to a respectable total, but it ultimately proved insufficient against Sultans’ formidable batting depth.

Multan’s bowlers maintained tight lines throughout. Arafat Minhas complemented Faisal with two wickets for 22 runs, while Siddle and the pace unit restricted the flow of runs in the death overs. The spinners, in particular, exploited the conditions superbly, varying their pace and using the pitch’s grip to stifle scoring options.

The result underscored Sultans’ dominance in the ongoing PSL campaign. With this victory, they have once again demonstrated their ability to chase down targets with clinical efficiency, a hallmark of their successful seasons.

The PSL now shifts to Karachi, where Hyderabad Kingsmen will take on Peshawar Zalmi in the next fixture at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.

Scoreboard

RAWALPINDIZ:
Mohammad Rizwan lbw b Arafat19
Yasir Khan b Ismail5
Kamran Ghulam c Arafat b Faisal35
Abdullah Fazal c Ismail b Faisal14
Daryl Mitchell c&b Faisal17
Sam Billings not out56
Dian Forrester c Nawaz b Siddle24
Rishad Hossain lbw b Arafat1
Asif Afridi c Smith b Faisal7
Amir Khan not out0

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-3)4
TOTAL (for eight wickets, 20 overs)182
DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Amir
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-15 (Yasir), 2-48 (Rizwan), 3-66 (Abdullah), 4-79 (Kamran), 5-94 (Mitchell), 6-127 (Forrester), 7-128 (Hossain), 8-151 (Asif)
BOWLING: Nawaz 2-0-29-0, Siddle 4-0-31-1, Ismail 2-0-24-1 (1w), Arafat 4-0-22-2, Wasim 4-0-44-0 (2w), Faisal 4-0-31-4

MULTAN SULTANS:
Sahibzada Farhan b Amir Khan68
Steven Smith c Abdullah b M. Amir5
Josh Philippe c Billings b M. Amir56
Shan Masood not out27
Ashton Turner not out26

EXTRAS (LB-4)4
TOTAL (for three wickets, 16.2 overs)186
DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Peter Siddle, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Ismail, Faisal Akram

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-12 (Smith), 2-122 (Philippe), 3-139 (Farhan)
BOWLING: Asif 4-0-35-0, M. Amir 3-0-32-2, Amir Khan 4-0-44-1, Rishad 3-0-46-0, Mitchell 2-0-15-0, Forrester 0.2-0-10-0
RESULT: Multan Sultans won by seven wickets.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Faisal Akram

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2026