PSL 11 points table after Hyderabad Kingsmen beat Multan Sultans
Four-wicket victory over Sultans stretches Kingsmen's winning streak to four matches
KARACHI: Debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen registered a hard-fought four-wicket victory over 2021 champions Multan Sultans in the 33rd match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.
Put into bat first, the Sultans piled up a massive total of 213/7 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a blistering century by experienced Steve Smith.
Smith top-scored for the Sultans with a quickfire 106 off just 50 deliveries, laced with 12 fours and six sixes. He also shared a monumental 132-run partnership with fellow opener Sahibzada Farhan, who made a 43-ball 66, featuring five sixes and four fours.
Besides them, only wicketkeeper batter Josh Philippe (19) could amass double figures as the Kingsmen's bowlers pulled things back at the backend.
Akif Javed spearheaded the Kingsmen's bowling charge with three wickets for 30 runs in his three overs, while Mohammad Ali, Hunain Shah, Hassan Khan and Glenn Maxwell chipped in with one apiece.
Set to chase a daunting 214-run target, the Kingsmen struck the winning runs for the loss of six wickets and three balls to spare, thanks to Usman Khan's record-setting fourth PSL century.
The wicketkeeper batter eclipsed Smith's masterclass with a sensational knock, top-scoring for the Kingsmen with 101 off just 47 deliveries, studded with 10 sixes and five fours.
He was amply supported by captain Marnus Labuschagne, who made a 41-ball 61, while all-rounder Hassan gave final touches to the pursuit with an unbeaten 24-run cameo, which came off just six deliveries.
For Multan Sultans, Muhammad Ismail and veteran pacer Peter Siddle bagged three wickets each.
The four-wicket victory, which marked Hyderabad Kingsmen's fourth consecutive in the ongoing PSL 11, lifted them to the fourth position in the standings with eight points after eight games, pushing down defending champions Lahore Qalandars, who have a similar track record but an inferior net run rate.
| Teams | Matches | Wins | Losses | No Results | Points | Net Run Rate |
| Peshawar Zalmi (Q) | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 2.645 |
| Multan Sultans | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0.450 |
| Islamabad United | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1.481 |
| Hyderabad Kingsmen | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | -0.367 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | -0.503 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | -0.355 |
| Karachi Kings | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | -1.292 |
| RawalPindiz (E) | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | -1.647 |
Multan Sultans, on the other hand, remained second on the points table with 12 points in nine matches, only behind leaders Peshawar Zalmi, who have already qualified for the playoffs.
Three-time champions Islamabad United are third in the standings with nine points after seven matches, while Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings hold the sixth and seventh spots, respectively, having six points each.
Debutants RawalPindiz, who lost each of their first eight matches, remained at the bottom with zero points.
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