Lahore Qalandars dealt Multan Sultans their first loss of the season, winning by 20 runs in a rain-shortened 13-over clash in Lahore.
Mohammad Naeem starred with a rapid 60 off 28 balls, while Parvez Hossain Emon blazed 45 off 19, giving Qalandars a flying start. The duo raced past fifty within just four overs, capitalizing on loose bowling.
Multan fought back late with four wickets for 33 runs, but Qalandars still posted a challenging 185/5.
In reply, Multan struggled from the outset, losing early wickets. Shaheen Afridi struck first by dismissing Steve Smith, and Mustafizur Rahman removed Sahibzada Farhan and Shan Masood to tighten the chokehold.
Masood (44 off 18) and Ashton Turner (52* off 22) staged a strong counterattack, adding 50 runs off 24 balls for the fourth wicket. After Masood’s exit, Arafat Minhas joined Turner to put on 57 for the next wicket.
Despite 38 runs in the final overs, the early setbacks proved too costly for Multan.
Brief scores: Lahore Qalandars 185/5 in 13 overs (Mohammad Naeem 60; Mohammad Ismail 2-47) beat Multan Sultans 165/5 in 13 overs (Ashton Turner 52*, Shan Masood 44; Mustafizur Rahman 2-37) by 20 runs.
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