Kumar Sangakkara delivers again and other key points from PSL win for Multan Sultans

Denzil Pinto 00:39 24/02/2018
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  • Multan Sultans made it two wins out of two in the Pakistan Super League on Friday night. After stunning champions Peshawar Zalmi on Thursday, they repeated the feat again with a 43-run win over Lahore Qalanders at Dubai International Stadium.

    Kumar Sangakkara once again rose to the occasion with another half-century, while there was a solid partnership of 65 between Umar Akmal and Fakhar Zaman which at one stage gave Lahore hope of chasing 180.

    Here are the takeaways from the third match of the tournament:

    Kumar Sangakkara rediscovering his best form

    At 40, the ex-Sri Lanka captain is proving that age is no barrier.. His 63-runs was his second consecutive half-century in this competition following his 57 runs against Peshawar Zalmi on Thursday. A man who consistently delivered on the international career during his 15 years is showing there’s plenty left in the tank, even at an age where most cricketers have retired. There’s still a long way to go in the tournament, but his early form bodes well for Multan Sultans that they can go far.

    More batting prowess than just Brendon McCullum

    When the New Zealand batsman failed to get off the mark, lasting just five balls, Lahore only had 40 on the scoreboard with two wickets down. It was a long road back for Lahore and while it ended in a defeat, Aaqib Javed can take positives from Fakhar Zaman and Umar Akmal’s heroic batting efforts. The pair defied the opposition bowlers for a large spell, putting on a 65-run stand for the third wicket before Multan got the breakthrough. With Chris Lynn ruled out before the tournament, the pressure is on for Lahore batsmen to make an impact.

    Shot of the day

    There were plenty of boundaries during the match but Fakhar Zaman certainly tops the list. Imran Tahir was the unfortunate man with his googly not deceiving the batsman and instead spinning wide. It allowed Zaman to get more room and slog sweep the ball into the second-tier of the stadium.

    Man of the match

    Junaid Khan had a fair shout of winning the personal accolade with his hat-trick but that honour went to Imran Tahir. The South African was lethal with the ball and his double wickets were crucial in the game. Finished with figures of 3-27.

    Quote of the match

    Shoaib Malik on Imran Tahir and Junaid Khan:

    “Junaid Khan is a very good bowler and I knew when I asked him to come and bowl, he said I’ll do it. I must mention Imran Tahir’s name as well. He came up to me, in a crucial situation, said give me the ball and he took those wickets for us. Our goal was to fight till the last ball, even when it seemed like they would win.”

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