Tim David and Rilee Rossouw had earlier put up a fantastic partnership as the Multan Sultans scored 217/5
The Multan Sultans piled the runs on the board after Tim David and veteran Rilee Rossouw launched an assault, plundering 110 runs in just eight overs to propel their side to a massive 217/5 at the end of the innings. Islamabad’s game was all but lost before all-rounder Shadab Khan’s brilliant knock brought a fresh spark into the lifeless Islamabad innings. However, Khan could not finish the job, getting dismissed for 91, which ultimately meant that the Sultans walked away victorious by 20 runs.
Skipper Shadab won the toss as Islamabad put Multan into bat, which turned out not to be the smartest choice, as Shan Masood powered the Sultans into a solid start.
However, two quick run-outs and Masood’s dismissal, put some pressure on the Sultans, as David and Rilee Rossouw were brought together in the middle. The duo did a fantastic job of dealing with the situation as they began an all-out attack against the Islamabad bowlers.
There was a barrage of boundaries as David and Rossouw piled on the runs in the eight overs that they spent at the crease, as they both unleashed hell upon the helpless Islamabad bowlers. Both Rossouw and David got blistering half centuries as each of them scored half a dozen sixes. David was dismissed in the 19th over for a terrific 29-ball 71, while Rossouw was able to stay until the end, finishing on 67 in 35 balls, as the Sultans set United a target of 218 in 20 overs.
In response, Islamabad were shaky, as they lost all their top-order batsmen after they got off to decent starts. It was looking impossible for them to get anywhere near the Sultans’ massive score, as they were left reeling at 114/5 after 12 overs. However, skipper Shadab Khan had other plans, as he played an absolute blinder, smoking the ball to all parts of the pitch, scoring an incredible nine sixes, as he seemed to pull his side back into the contest.
He was losing partners in quick succession at the other end and eventually lost his own wicket when the equation was 24 in nine deliveries with just two wickets left, departing for a spectacular 42-ball 91. Shadab’s dismissal was the final nail in the Islamabad coffin, as the Sultans wrapped up the contest by 20 runs.
