Abbas, Hasan Blitz Goes in Vain as Sultans Snatch Thriller

News Desk

Karachi: A stunning late assault from Abbas Afridi and Hasan Ali wasn’t enough to halt Karachi Kings’ slide, as Multan Sultans held their nerve to secure an 11-run win in a high-scoring thriller at the National Stadium.

Chasing a daunting 208, the Kings looked out of contention at 79 required off 35 balls with half their side dismissed. But Abbas (34 off 16) and Hasan (23 off 10) flipped the script with fearless hitting, dragging the contest to the brink and briefly reviving hopes of a dramatic heist.

The duo hammered boundaries at will, slashing the equation to 23 off the final two overs. Yet just when momentum had decisively shifted, veteran seamer Peter Siddle delivered a decisive over, conceding only five runs and turning the pressure back on the hosts.

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The final blow came in the last over when Hasan was run out attempting to retain strike, sealing Kings’ fourth straight defeat.

Earlier, Sultans’ total of 207 for 7 was built on aggressive top-order contributions from Shan Masood (46) and Josh Philippe (44), before a late cameo powered them past the 200 mark. The turning point came in the death overs, where a 21-run final over against Hasan proved costly, ultimately creating the margin of defeat.

Karachi’s chase had earlier been steadied by Reeza Hendricks (49) and Moeen Ali (27), who added 67 runs but failed to keep up with the mounting required rate. Their dismissals left the lower order with too much to do, despite the late fireworks.

For Multan, timely breakthroughs in the powerplay and disciplined middle-overs bowling kept the chase just out of reach. The win lifts Sultans to second on the points table with 10 points, strengthening their playoff push, while Karachi’s campaign continues to falter under mounting pressure.