Multan Sultans will be looking to overcome the disappointment of losing in the playoffs last season and go one step further this time and make it to their first-ever PSL final. Multan has announced that wicket-keeper, Mohammad Rizwan, will be their new captain, replacing Shan Masood.
Rizwan is in the form of his life and will be hoping to continue his magnificent run in PSL 2021. Multan has drafted in the Australian opener, Chris Lynn, and Pakistani pacer, Sohail Khan, to their ranks this season, and they will be hoping that these players will be firing on all cylinders.
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- Captain: Mohammad Rizwan
- Coach: Andy Flower
- Assistant coach: Mushtaq Ahmed
- Bowling coach: Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed
- Best finish: Eliminator 2 (PSL 5)
- Last year finish: Eliminator 2 (PSL 5)
Strengths
Multan Sultans’ spin trio of Imran Tahir, Shahid Afridi, and Usman Qadir has the potential to wreak havoc on the opposition batting lineup.
Judging by the spin-friendly tracks in the Pakistan and South Africa series, the trio will be the key for Multan Sultans. Tahir and Afridi have been in the game for a long time and are considered two of the finest leg-spinners in limited-overs cricket, while Usman Qadir has made an impressive start to his international career.
The other key area for Multan Sultans is their overseas batting contingent. Chris Lynn, James Vince, and Rilee Rossouw form a fearsome top-order and can take away the game from the opposition within the first ten overs.
Rossouw has been a stand out performer in PSL over the years and scored a brilliant century in PSL 5. Similarly, Chris Lynn, playing for Lahore Qalandars, dismantled Multan last season with a magnificent century, while James Vince is a destructive player on his day as well. Multan’s top-order looks mighty strong.
Weaknesses
Multan’s pace attack is extremely light. Veterans, Sohail Khan and Sohail Tanvir are the two fast bowlers in the team, while rookie pacer, Shahnawaz Dhani, will be expected to fill out the third fast-bowling spot. Apart from these three pacers, Multan does not have a genuine pacer in their team to rely on.
Sohail Tanvir and Sohail Khan are at the twilight of their careers, and both have been out of the national setup for a while now. However, this could prove to be a positive sign for Multan as they will be fired up and looking to answer their critics in the selection committee.
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Multan’s other area of weakness is the limited number of all-rounders in their team. Apart from Shahid Afridi, Multan has only one player that can both bat and ball. Khushdil Shah, the other all-rounder, is considered a part-time bowler at best.
T20 requires players that can fulfill multiple roles, and Multan certainly lacks that. Afridi, as good as he is, has not performed with the bat recently and has shifted his focus towards his bowling. This leaves a huge gap for Multan to cover in the middle and lower order.
Superstar
Multan’s platinum pick, Chris Lynn, will provide the impetus at the top of the order, and on his day, he can single-handedly win the match for his team. Lynn is a destructive opener, and if he manages to stay fit, he can provide the fireworks for Multan Sultans.
Multan was exceptional last season, but they lacked the firepower at the top of the order. Zeeshan Ashraf and Shan Masood were good for them but did not provide explosive starts. Hence Lynn’s contributions at the top of the order will be crucial for Multan Sultans.
Hidden Gem
Leg-spinner, Usman Qadir, has been in a terrific wicket-taking form on Pakistan pitches. He has been with the national team for the past year or so, and the national team management has invested a lot of time and effort in the young leggie.
Usman’s height gives him extra spin and bounce off the pitch, which could bamboozle the opposition batsmen. Usman, like his dad, late Abdul Qadir, possesses the ability to bowl a magnificent googly, which can trouble any batsman in the world.
Usman took four wickets in the T20I series against South Africa, and the amount of spin he got from the pitches at Gaddafi Stadium would make the Multan Sultans camp very happy.
Predicted Finish
Multan has a strong squad on paper, but the squad seems unbalanced. They have a good top-order and a world-class spin attack, but the rest of the areas leave a lot to be desired.
Mohammad Rizwan’s fighting spirit might help them overachieve this season, but by judging at their squad and looking at their opponents, it is difficult to see them progress from the group stages.
Our predicted finish for Multan Sultans is fifth.
Multan’s Squad
| Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk) | Shahid Afridi | Rilee Rossouw |
| Chris Lynn | Imran Tahir | Khushdil Shah |
| Sohail Tanvir | Shan Masood | Usman Qadir |
| James Vince | Sohail Khan | Sohaib Maqsood |
| Sohaibullah | Adam Lyth | Shahnawaz Dhani |
| Mohammad Umar | Carlos Brathwaite | Imran Khan Snr. |
Multan’s Schedule
| Match No. | Date | Fixture | Time | Venue |
| 1 | Sunday, 21 February | Islamabad United v Multan Sultans | 7:00pm | National Stadium Karachi |
| 2 | Tuesday, 23 February | Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans | 7:00pm | National Stadium Karachi |
| 3 | Friday, 26 February | Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans | 3:00pm | National Stadium Karachi |
| 4 | Saturday, 27 February | Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans | 2:00pm | National Stadium Karachi |
| 5 | Wednesday, 3 March | Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans | 7:00pm | National Stadium Karachi |
| 6 | Friday, 5 March | Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings | 8:00pm | National Stadium Karachi |
| 7 | Sunday, 7 March | Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators | 2:00pm | National Stadium Karachi |
| 8 | Friday, 12 March | Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi | 2:00pm | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| 9 | Saturday, 13 March | Multan Sultans v Islamabad United | 7:00pm | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
| 10 | Tuesday, 16 March | Multan Sultans v Lahore Qalandars | 7:00pm | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
Check out the full PSL 2021 schedule here.
