Multan beats Islamabad, qualifies for its maiden PSL final
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Multan Sultans qualified for their first Pakistan Super League final after beating two-time champion Islamabad United by 31 runs in the playoffs on Monday.
Islamabad will have another opportunity to make the final when it takes on the playoff winner between Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi on Tuesday. The final is on Thursday.
Sohaib Maqsood´s 59 and Khushdil Shah's 42 off 22 balls spurred Multan to 180-5 after captain Mohammad Rizwan fell for nought.
Islamabad, renowned for its run chases, fell against the pace of Sohail Tanvir (3-17) and Zimbabwe swing bowler Blessing Muzarabani (3-31) en route to being bowled out for 149 with an over to spare.
Left-arm seamer Tanvir knocked back the middle stump of the in-form Colin Munro for a duck off his second delivery and returned to get the key wicket of Usman Khawaja, who threatened to take the game away from Multan with a scintillating knock of 70 off 40 balls.
Khawaja, the only Islamabad-born player in the United squad, completed his half-century off 33 balls and smashed Muzarabani for a six and three consecutive boundaries in the 14th over.
But Tanvir returned in the next over and Shah hung onto a well judged catch at deep midwicket to dismiss Khawaja. Islamabad hopes died.
Earlier, after electing to bat first, Maqsood earned a fourth half-century this season. The discarded Pakistan international hit seven fours and three pulled sixes to save Multan.
Islamabad captain Shadab Khan picked up both of his wickets in the first over when he had Shan Masood and Rilee Rossouw leg before wicket and Multan slipped to 59-3 in the eighth over.
But Maqsood added a brisk 63 with Johnson Charles, who hit a quickfire 41 from three fours and three sixes.
Shah kept up the momentum when he smacked young fast bowler Akif Javed for 29 runs in the penultimate over that featured four successive sixes and a four.
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