Twitter Reactions: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars clinch thrilling victory in PSL 2023 curtain raiser

Fakhar Zaman scored 66 off 42 to help Lahore Qalandars post a 175/6 total while batting first.

By Sumeet Kavthale

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4 Min Read

Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan
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Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan. (Photo Source: Twitter/Multan Sultans)

Lahore Qalandars kicked off their Pakistan Super League 2023 campaign with a win over last season's runners-up Multan Sultans in the first match on Monday (February 13). Last season's leading run-getter Fakhar Zaman picked up from where he left of and top-scored with 66(42) to help the Qalandars post 175/6 while batting first. In-form Mohammad Rizwan smashed 75 off 50 to drag his team to qn inch closer to the target but pacers made a late comeback to restrict the Sultans to 174/6 to register a thrilling 1-run victory.

Rizwan won the toss and elected to field first at Multan Cricket Stadium. However, his decision to bowl first backfired as Qalandars' openers Fakhar and Mirza Baig dominated the powerplay overs. The pair pulled off a crucial 61-run stand for the opening wicket till Akeal Hosein dismissed Baig in the eighth over. Baig scored 32 off 26 but Fakhar kept the runs flowing from the other end.

Fakhar formed another big 58-run partnership with West Indies star Shai Hope to keep the pressure on Sultans' bowlers. Usama Mir, who recently made an international debut, handed the Sultans a breakthrough with Hope and Fakhar's valuable wicket in the middle overs. Ihsanullah bagged two more wickets to contain the run flow further. 

Hussain Talat smashed a quick 20 in the end as the Qalandars posted a challenging total on the scorecard. Mir and Ihsanullah took two wickets each while Akeal and Shanawaz Dahani grabbed one wicket each for the Sultans.

Sultans lose by the barest of margins

While chasing a big total, Rizwan and Shan Masood formed a match-defining 100-run partnership for the opening wicket to ensure an early win for the Sultans. Rizwan continued his red-hot form from Bangladesh Premier League 2023 and showcased same grit and determination at PSL 2023 with another big fifty.

Masood played second-fiddle to Rizwan and scored a crucial 35 off 31 before getting caught out on Talat's delivery in the 13th over. But Rizwan kept hitting the big shots with David Miller joining him in the middle. The duo formed a small but crucial 31-run partnership for the second wicket. 

Qalandars' captain Shaheen Afridi, the last season's leading wicket-taker, raised few hopes for his team with Rizwan's wicket in the 16th over. He bowled out Rizwan on a ripping yorker when the Sultans needed 49 off the last five overs. Rizwan top-scored with 75 off 50 with eight fours and a six.

Pakistani speedster Haris Rauf ripped off the stumps with David Miller's wicket in the 19th over to put his team in the driving seat for the first time in the match. Sultans lost two more wickets in the last over and Khushdil Shah smashed two fours off the innings' last two deliveries but they fell one run short to level the score, and eventually lost the cut-throat game. 

Here is how Twitter is reacting to Multan Sultans' triumph over Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2023, Match 1: 

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PSL 2024Lahore QalandarsMultan SultansFakhar ZamanMohammad Rizwan