Multan Sultans Kick Off PSL 2026 Campaign With Dominant Five-Wicket Win Over Islamabad United

Islamabad United vs Multan Sultans Match Scorecard: The new look Multan Sultans commanded an impactful win by 5 wickets against former champions Islamabad United in their inaugural PSL 2026 match on Saturday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. With 8 balls to spare, Multan Sultans compiled the chase with ease on the back of incredible batting performance from Josh Philippe (55), Ashton Turner (43*), and Arafat Minhas down the order. Australian talismanic Steve Smith, who opened the innings for Multan Sultans, scored a steady 31(23) with the other opener, Sahibzada Farhan, failing to make an impact with 2(4). 

First Innings: Islamabad United Restricted

After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Multan Sultans’ 41-year-old veteran Peter Siddle took down the opener Devon Conway inside the powerplay. Siddle’s wicket helped Sultans stifle United, keeping them to the tournament’s lowest first-innings Powerplay score (48).
 
An impactful known New Zealand’s Mark Chapman (40 off 21 balls) from Mark Chapman and a late cameo by Faheem Ashraf, helped United reach 171 for 8 at the end of the first innings. Sultans rode on the back of Momin Qamar (3/24), as he was adjudged ‘player of the match’ for his spell. His wickets included both Sameer Minhas and captain Shadab Khan as he took them down in quick succession. 

Second Innings: The Chase

The Sultans’ chase was precise as wicketkeeper batter Josh Philippe led the innings with a fifty, while veteran Smith generated early momentum by attacking Salman Mirza in the powerplay.

The decisive moment was a quick 61-run collaboration between Philippe and captain Ashton Turner (43* from 28 balls), who aggressively challenged Shadab Khan. A late burst from Arafat Minhas (25 off 11 balls) guaranteed the Sultans reached the finish line comfortably, reinforcing their new “Total Cricket” approach.

Brief Scores

Islamabad United: 171/X (20 overs) | Mark Chapman 40 (21), Momin Qamar 3/24

Multan Sultans: 172/5 (18.x overs) | Josh Philippe 55, Ashton Turner 43* (28)

Result: Multan Sultans won by 5 wickets.

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