PSL 11 points table after Peshawar Zalmi thump Multan Sultans

KARACHI: 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi registered a resounding 24-run victory over Multan Sultans in the 22nd match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Monday.

Put into bat first, the leaders racked up a massive total of 196/6 on the board, courtesy of Kusal Mendis's blistering half-century and Mohammad Haris' quickfire cameo up the order.

Mendis top-scored for Zalmi with 68 off just 40 deliveries, studded with six fours and three sixes, while Haris made a 17-ball 38, comprising four fours and three sixes.

Besides them, youngster Farhan Yousaf made a handy contribution to Zalmi's total with a 22-ball 30, laced with three fours.

For Sultans, Muhammad Ismail and Peter Siddle bagged two wickets each, while Mohammad Nawaz and Mohammad Wasim Jr made one scalp apiece.

Set to chase a daunting 197-run target, the Sultans could accumulate 172/8 in their 20 overs and thus succumbed to their second defeat in the ongoing PSL 11.

Vice captain Shan Masood remained the top-scorer for the Sultans with a gritty 35 off 19 deliveries, while Josh Philippe and Steve Smith could muster 32 and 31, respectively.

Sufiyan Muqeem spearheaded Zalmi's bowling charge with three wickets for just 30 runs in his four overs, followed by Iftikhar Ahmed and Nahid Rana with two each, while Aami Jamal chipped in with one scalp.

The 24-run victory meant Peshawar Zalmi remained the only unbeaten side in the eight-team tournament and consolidated their top spot with 11 points after six games, while Multan Sultans retained their second spot with eight points after as many games.

Teams	Matches	Wins	Losses	No Results	Points	Net Run Rate
Peshawar Zalmi	6	5	0	1	11	2.722
Multan Sultans	6	4	2	0	8	0.527
Islamabad United	6	3	2	1	7	1.363
Karachi Kings	5	3	2	0	6	-1.395
Quetta Gladiators	5	2	3	0	4	0.456
Hyderabad Kingsmen	6	2	4	0	4	-0.808
Lahore Qalandars	5	2	3	0	4	-0.863
RawalPindiz	5	0	5	0	0	-1.864

Three-time champions Islamabad United are third in the standings with seven points in six games, followed by Karachi Kings, who have six points after playing a match less.

Quetta Gladiators, Hyderabad Kingsmen and defending champions Lahore Qalandars occupy the next three positions, respectively, as each of the three teams has four points.

Kingsmen, however, have played six matches, one more than the previous edition's finalists.

RawalPindiz, on the other hand, who are yet to register a victory in PSL 11, remained at the bottom after five consecutive defeats.