Peshawar Zalmi strengthened their position at the top of the table with a 24-run win over Multan Sultans in the 22nd match of the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) at the National Bank Stadium.
Chasing 197, Multan Sultans were restricted to 172/8 in their 20 overs despite a few useful partnerships in the middle. The defeat was their second of the tournament.
The run chase got off to a shaky start when Sahibzada Farhan, who had been in good form, was dismissed for 17 in the third over with the score on 30. Steve Smith and Josh Philippe then tried to steady the innings with a 55-run stand, but Zalmi pulled things back in the 10th over when Muqeem removed both set batters.
Philippe struck 32 off 17 balls with six fours, while Smith made 31 from 29 deliveries. After their dismissals, Shan Masood kept Multan in the hunt with a quick 35 off 19 balls, hitting five boundaries during his stay.
Masood added important runs with captain Ashton Turner and Arafat Minhas, but Zalmi continued to chip away at the chase. Turner made 20, while Minhas managed four before falling to Nahid Rana. Mohammad Wasim Jr also failed to make an impact, scoring four, as Rana delivered a crucial penultimate over and gave away just two runs.
Mohammad Nawaz scored 16 off 16 balls before being dismissed in the final over by Aamir Jamal, who kept things tight at the death to seal Zalmi’s fifth win in six matches.
Muqeem led the bowling effort with figures of 3/30 in four overs. Iftikhar Ahmed and Nahid Rana picked up two wickets each, while Jamal chipped in with one.
Earlier, Multan captain Ashton Turner opted to field first, but the decision did not produce the desired result as Zalmi posted 196/6 in their 20 overs.
Zalmi made a strong start through Mohammad Haris and Babar Azam, who added 48 runs for the opening wicket. Haris provided the early momentum with a 17-ball 38 that included four sixes and three fours before Peter Siddle removed him in the fifth over.
Babar struggled for fluency and made 18 off 20 balls before falling to Mohammad Nawaz in the eighth over. After that, Kusal Mendis took charge of the innings and stitched together a valuable 63-run partnership with Farhan Yousaf.
Farhan scored 30 off 22 balls with three sixes before being dismissed in the 15th over. Mendis then added another 34 runs with Michael Bracewell, helping Zalmi push towards a strong finish.
The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter was the standout performer with 68 off 40 deliveries, hitting four fours and three sixes. Bracewell added 14, while Iftikhar Ahmed chipped in with a late 11 off just five balls.
For Multan Sultans, Peter Siddle and Mohammad Ismail took two wickets each, while Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim Jr claimed one apiece.
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