Lahore Qalandars begin PSL title defence with one-run victory in thriller

Khushdil Shah could only hit two fours off the last two balls of the match, with 10 runs needed for victory

Multan: Lahore Qalandars 175-6, Multan Sultans 174-6 - Lahore Qalandars win by one run

The Pakistan Super League returned with a thriller as Lahore Qalandars beat Multan Sultans by one run as the 2023 competition began with a repeat of last year's final.

Sultans needed 49 runs to win off the final five overs and then 29 off two as Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi pushed up the required run rate.

The equation came down to 10 runs off two deliveries, but Khushdil Shah could only hit successive fours off Zaman Khan to give Qalandars a one-run victory.

Mohammad Rizwan (75) and Shan Masood (35) had given Multan a solid start to their response as they chased down 176 to atone the disappointment of last season's final.

But neither could push the scoring rate out of Lahore's control, which meant that as wickets gradually began to fall, Sultans were never home and dry.

^{David Miller was bowled by Haris Rauf (Farooq Naeem/AFP via Getty Images)}

Masood helped Hussain Talat to short fine leg, before Afridi deceived Rizwan with a slower-ball yorker.

David Miller made a similarly pedestrian 25 as he was kept in check before another yorker – this time from Rauf – accounted for him.

Multan were never out of it, though, while Kieron Pollard was at the crease. The former West Indies captain hit a six and a four in a 12-ball cameo – he has been in exceptional recent form – but was run out trying to get back on strike in the final over, precipitating a chaotic spell in which Usman Khan was trapped in front by Zaman and Usama Mir was run out by Liam Dawson as Lahore completed a team hat-trick.

Earlier, Fakhar Zaman had hit five sixes in his 66, which set up Lahore for a total that was ultimately match-winning. Mirza Baig (32) played a useful supporting role, before Sikandar Raza (19*) and Talat (20) took over in the death overs.

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