Rawalpindiz falter for eighth successive time as Sultans script six-wicket victory

The HBL PSL debutants Rawalpindiz are showing no signs of resurgence, as the gulf between their on-field performances and those of the other teams appears significantly wider.

In contrast to their ‘Gen Z’ style pre-season hype, the Mohammad Rizwan-led outfit continues to slump in every outing, and on Tuesday night, they succumbed to their eighth successive defeat as the Multan Sultans outclassed them by six wickets at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.

After posting 166, powered by Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 58 off 46 balls, the Pindiz bowlers lacked substance, with neither frontline pacer Mohammad Amir making an impact, nor their spin duo able to stop Steve Smith from showcasing his class, as his well-crafted 56 off 31 balls guided Sultans to their sixth win of the ongoing competition.

After Asif Afridi dismissed Sahibzada Farhan (20) in the fourth over with 29 runs on the board, Smith first steadied the innings before shifting gears.

He stitched a quickfire 69-run partnership for the second wicket with Josh Philippe, before both fell in successive overs.

With the score at 100/3 in 11.3 overs and 66 runs still required off 51 deliveries, skipper Ashton Turner joined his deputy Shan Masood. The pair batted sensibly, adding 57 runs to bring their side within touching distance.

Razaullah broke the stand on the first ball of the penultimate over, dismissing Masood for 20 off 22 deliveries.

Turner, however, remained unbeaten on 37 off 21 balls, guiding the Sultans home in the same over alongside Arafat Minhas, who chipped in with an unbeaten seven.

For the Pindiz, Asif Afridi was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets for 28 runs, while Razaullah and Saad Masood could claim one apiece.

Another failure for Rizwan

Electing to bat first, the Rizwan-led side posted 166 for 6 in their 20 overs, built around a key middle-order stand between Mitchell and Dian Forrester.

Their innings began poorly, with Shahzaib Khan (0) and Yasir Khan (4) falling within the first two overs, leaving them two wickets down for just six.

After the early blows, Mitchell joined captain Rizwan, and the pair steadied things with a cautious 63-run partnership for the third wicket before Mitchell was stumped off Arafat Minhas in the 11th over.

Rizwan struggled for fluency, scoring 26 from 29 balls with one four and a six, as his batting woes continues in the ongoing PSL.

Mitchell then combined with Sam Billings to add 52 runs for the fourth wicket in 39 deliveries. Billings made a brisk 29 off 20 balls, including two fours and a six, before being dismissed by Mohammad Wasim Jr in the 17th over.

Following his departure, Dian Forrester provided late impetus with an aggressive 37 off just 15 balls, striking three fours and three sixes.

Mitchell anchored the innings from the other end, finishing unbeaten on 58 from 46 deliveries, as the pair put on an unbroken 45-run stand to close the innings strongly.

For the Sultans, Mohammad Imran, Peter Siddle, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Arafat Minhas claimed a wicket each.