Steven Smith and Sahibzada Farhan provided the spark as Multan Sultans cruised past Quetta Gladiators on Sunday, April 5, in Lahore. Chasing a comparatively small target of 167, the Sultans reached it with 15 balls remaining, with their opening pair producing 71 runs in the first five overs to set the tone early. Multan’s momentum continues—three victories in four matches—while Quetta remain stuck at the other end of the table with three defeats from four outings.
Quetta’s innings: steady phases, late acceleration
Quetta began with Khawaja Nafay at the top, and he made an immediate impact by smashing the slog sweep in the very first over against the Gladiators’ captain Ashton Turner. However, the opener was trapped lbw in the next over, and the early pressure only grew when Shamyl Hussain also failed to get going.
Hasan Nawaz then helped Quetta regain some rhythm, striking a couple of boundaries to break the initial shackles. Saud Shakeel took on veteran Peter Siddle during the Powerplay phase, lifting the tempo for the Gladiators. Shakeel continued to bat positively, finding regular boundaries, but Multan stayed firmly in control after Arafat Minhas struck twice in a single over.
By the halfway point, Quetta were at 73 runs and still required a stronger finish. For the next three overs, no boundaries were conceded, but the innings changed quickly when Ben Jacobs exploded against Faisal Akram, injecting the momentum Quetta needed.
Late over surge sets a competitive target
Shakeel eventually departed after reaching fifty, yet Jacobs and Ahmed Daniyal maintained the pressure in the closing stages. Their boundaries helped ensure Quetta added 43 runs in the final three overs, giving the Gladiators a platform that looked useful—at least on paper.
Still, any momentum built at the end of the innings was quickly neutralised once Multan’s chase began.
Multan’s chase: Smith and Farhan end it early
With Steven Smith and Sahibzada Farhan walking out to chase 167, the contest swung decisively within moments. Smith started with two fours and a six off Alzarri Joseph’s opening over, while Farhan punished Abrar Ahmed with similar intent. The Australian continued to pile on damage, smashing four consecutive boundaries off Tom Curran, and Farhan then attacked Abrar again.
By the end of the first four overs, 63 runs had been scored—an early burst that effectively signalled the end of the Gladiators’ chances. Joseph did manage to break the partnership, and Josh Philippe also had his wicket taken by Shakeel, but the damage was already done. Multan were cruising at 106/2 at the halfway mark, and Quetta’s “miracle” scenario simply never materialised.
Closing stages and key outcomes
Smith went on to record his first half-century of the tournament, while Shan Masood ensured the chase stayed steady and finished unbeaten until the end. Hasan Nawaz struck late to take a couple of wickets, but it had little impact on the result as Masood guided Multan to the finish.
The Sultans now face a quick turnaround, with another match coming up in less than 24 hours.
Brief scores
- Quetta Gladiators: 166/7 in 20 overs (Saud Shakeel 56, Ben Jacobs 49*; Mohammad Nawaz 3-30, Arafat Minhas 2-14)
- Multan Sultans: 167/4 in 17.3 overs (Steven Smith 53, Shan Masood 46*; Hasan Nawaz 2/17)
Multan Sultans won by 6 wickets.
