KARACHI, April 13, 2026 — A fluent half-century from Kusal Mendis and a disciplined spin attack powered Peshawar Zalmi to a commanding win over Multan Sultans in the 22nd match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the National Bank Stadium on Monday.
Set a challenging target of 197, Multan Sultans were restricted to 172/8 in their 20 overs, suffering their second defeat of the tournament as Zalmi registered their fifth win in six matches.
Batting first after losing the toss, Peshawar Zalmi posted 196/6, built around a blistering 68 off 40 balls from wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis, who struck four boundaries and three sixes to anchor the innings.
Zalmi’s innings began explosively as opener Mohammad Haris smashed 40 off just 17 deliveries, including seven boundaries, to give the side a flying start. He shared a 48-run opening stand with skipper Babar Azam, before the latter fell for 18 off 20 balls after a scratchy stay at the crease.
Haris was dismissed in the fifth over by Peter Siddle, but Zalmi maintained momentum through Mendis and emerging batter Farhan Yousaf. The pair added 63 runs in quick time, with Yousaf contributing a brisk 30 off 22 deliveries before falling in the 15th over.
Mendis continued to dominate the middle overs, stitching a 34-run partnership with Michael Bracewell before both were removed in the death overs by Mohammad Ismail. Late cameos ensured Zalmi approached the 200-mark, despite losing wickets regularly in the final phase.
In response, Multan Sultans suffered an early setback when Sahibzada Farhan departed for 17 inside the powerplay. Although Steve Smith and Josh Philippe attempted to rebuild with a 55-run stand, Zalmi’s spinners quickly tilted the contest.
Left-arm spinner Sufiyan Muqeem delivered a decisive spell of 3/30, removing both set batters in a crucial 10th over double strike. Philippe scored 32 off 17 balls, while Smith made 31 from 29 deliveries.
Vice-captain Shan Masood offered resistance with a quick 35 off 19 balls and shared useful partnerships with Ashton Turner and Arafat Minhas, but wickets at regular intervals stalled the chase. Shan Masood was eventually dismissed by Iftikhar Ahmed in the 16th over.
Multan’s lower order failed to accelerate against tight bowling. Nahid Rana struck twice in a disciplined spell, while Aamir Jamal closed out the innings efficiently, conceding just two runs in the final over phase.
Muqeem’s control through the middle overs proved decisive as Zalmi’s spin trio restricted scoring opportunities and built pressure that led to repeated breakthroughs. He was named Player of the Match for his match-winning spell.
Multan captain Ashton Turner’s decision to field first backfired as Zalmi’s strong batting foundation and disciplined bowling effort proved too strong.
The result strengthens Zalmi’s position in the PSL standings, while Multan Sultans will need to regroup ahead of their next fixture in the eight-team tournament.