Lahore, 8 April 2025:
It’s natural that people call the best rivalry in Pakistan cricket is Lahore versus Karachi. But if you go through the latest editions of the PSL, the most intense rivalry of the HBL Pakistan Super League history is Multan Sultans versus Lahore Qalandars.
There have been intense and, nip and tuck contests between the two teams, often resulting in one run wins. The Lahore Qalandars twice pulled off a solitary run victory over Multan Sultans in the 2023 edition, one of them the first match of the edition while the second was the title-decider on March 18 in Lahore.
Multan Sultans’ closest win over Lahore Qalandars was a 28-run victory in the 2022 edition.
The two teams have met 19 times in the seven editions of the HBL PSL with Multan Sultans winning ten and Lahore Qalandars winning nine.
Mohammad Rizwan has excelled in the rivalry with 501 runs in 12 innings while Shan Masood 321 and Rilee Rossouw has 242 runs in the head-to-head matches against Lahore Qalandars. Usama Mir (13 wickets in six matches), Shahnawaz Dahani (13 in nine) and Imran Tahir (nine in nine) are the most successful bowlers for Multan Sultans against Lahore Qalandars.
Here we look at the five most memorable Multan-Sultan-Lahore Qalandars contests
March 18, 2023 PSL 8 Lahore
Lahore Qalandars won by one-run
Lahore Qalandars were the table-toppers in the HBL PSL 2023, while Multan Sultans finished second. Multan Sultans had thrashed Lahore Qalandars in their den in Lahore in the Qualifier by a convincing 84 runs margin. With that thrashing in mind both the teams had a point to prove when they locked horns in the final.
Lahore pulled off a sensational match before a jam-packed Gaddafi Stadium to enthrall the home fans with their second title in as many editions.
Needing 13 off the final over, Multan Sultans had two set batters in Khushdil Shah and Abbas Afridi. The pair had taken 22 off the penultimate over from Haris Rauf to bring their team back in the chase. Lahore’s pacer Zaman Khan was given the task to bowl the final over and he conceded just five runs off the first four balls to give Lahore a sniff of victory. Khushdil hit a boundary to change the complexion of the match. Now four runs were needed for victory and three for a Super Over. But calamity struck off the final delivery as Khushdil was run-out while taking a tough third run.
Lahore Qalandars, batting by choice, put up a solid 200-6 on the board. Openers Fakhar Zaman with 39 and Mirza Baig with 30 put on a confident 38-run start before Zaman and Abdullah Shafique took the total to 95 in the 12th over. Shafique’s brilliant 65 off 40 balls had two sixes and eight boundaries. Skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi hinted he can be a good allrounder by cracking a fiery 15-ball 44 to give a real impetus to the innings, smashing five sixes and two boundaries.
Spinner Usama Mir came out with flying colours amidst the run riot, taking 3-24 in his three overs.
Multan Sultans were given a rapid start of 41 by the fourth over by Usman Khan (18) and Mohammad Rizwan (34), but it was Rilee Rossouw who gave the chase more life with a brilliant 32-ball 52 with two sixes and seven boundaries. But once Rossouw left, Multan Sultans struggled in the chase as Shaheen (4-51) and world-class spinner Rashid Khan (2-26) tightened the screws. There were small contributions of 19 from Kieron Pollard and 20 from Tim David.
It was left to Khushdil Shah and Abbas Afridi to put 33 runs for the ninth wicket before they fell one short in the final over.
March 15, 2023 PSL 8 Lahore
Multan Sultans won by 84 runs
A convincing win by Multan Sultans helped them reach the final of the eighth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League as they carried their form from the first phase to the next.
Batting after winning the toss at the Gaddafi Stadium, Multan Sultans owed their total of 160-5 to a swashbuckling 57 by Kieron Pollard. The West Indian T20 specialist was in superb six-hitting form, clearing the ropes six times with only one boundary off just 34 balls. Mohammad Rizwan with 33 and Usman Khan 29 had looked good during their 53-run opening stand but could not continue for long. Tim David hit a quick 15-ball 22 not out but the total still looked below par. Express pacer of Lahore Haris Rauf was the pick of bowlers with 3-34.
Rizwan marshalled his bowlers well and kept the pressure to successfully defend the total. It was another West Indian Sheldon Cottrell who removed the Qalandars’ top-order with figures of 3-20. Sultans wrapped up their rival’s innings in 14.3 overs for a paltry 76. Only Sam Billings with 19, Rauf 15 and David Wiese 12 could reach the double figures.
February 13, 2023 PSL 8
Lahore Qalandars won by one-run
Multan Sultans captain Rizwan admitted his team looked like sealing the match but gave credit to Lahore Qalandars’ bowling with two top bowlers in their side who regularly open the bowling for Pakistan and credit to them for delivering at a crucial time.
Rizwan was referring to Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf who kept it tight in defense of a 176-run target. But it was another Pakistan speedster Zaman Khan who showed his expertise in bowling the last over, defending 15 for Lahore Qalandars. It was one of the most exciting final overs of a T20 match with dots, wides, wickets and boundaries. In the end, Zaman came out successful by conceding 13 and secured a win for his team.
Multan Sultans won the toss and opted to bat on a flat and dry Multan Stadium pitch. A solid stand of 61 between Fakhar Zaman (66) and Mirza Baig (32) had Lahore Qalandars on the top but spinner Usama Mir struck twice to put brakes on their progress. Fakhar’s 42-ball innings had five sixes and three boundaries. Hussain Talat with 20 and Pakistan born Zimbabwean Sikander Raza’s 19 took Lahore to 175-6.
Sultans too had a rollicking start as Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood jetted off to 100 in 12.1 overs. Rizwan scored a solid 50-ball 75 with a six and eight boundaries, while Masood’s 31-ball 35 had four boundaries. David Miller scored 25 and Kieron Pollard made 20 but the asking rate climbed. It was left to Zaman to defend 15 in the last over. He dismissed Pollard, Usman Khan and Usama Mir in the process.
March 11, 2019 PSL 4 Karachi
Multan Sultans won by seven wickets
Multan Sultans were dominant from the get-go as Karachi Stadium pitch supported their bowlers.
Multan Sultan skipper Mohammad Rizwan rightly called at the toss and did not hesitate in opting to field first. It turned out to be a right decision as Lahore Qalandars found the going tough. Medium pacer Mohammad Abbas was the star for Multan as he took 3-22 in his incisive four overs. Fakhar Zaman with 53 and David Wiese with 30 held the innings but others failed to contribute in a big manner. Lahore finished on 140-8 in their 20 overs.
Multan Sultans were steady in their chase and after Umer Siddiq 13 and James Vince 25 set the pace it was Shan Masood 48 and Jonathan Charles 41 who helped their team cross the line in just 12.3 overs for a seven wicket win.
February 21, 2020 PSL 5 Lahore
Multan Sultans won by five wickets
It was another dominant performance by Multan Sultans as they trounced Lahore Qalandars by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Mohammad Rizwan won a crucial toss and sent Lahore Qalandars into bat. It turned out to be a good decision as Imran Tahir, Moeen Ali and Mohammad Ilyas grabbed two wickets apiece to quash any Lahore hopes to put up a big total. Australian Chris Lynn threatened at the start with a belligerent 19-ball 39, hitting three sixes and four boundaries but his stay was shorter than Lahore had wished for. Sohail Akhtar smoked three sixes in his 30-ball 34.
Multan Sultans owed their successful chase to a solid 38 from Shan Masood and a sedate 32 from Rilee Rossouw who set their team on course. But crowd favorite Shahid Afridi stole the show with a rollicking 12-ball 21 not out to give the chase final touches.
