PSL 2023: Records tumble for fun as Multan Sultans hammer Quetta Gladiators in Rawalpindi

Match no 28 of the ongoing Pakistan Super League is making several headlines for many reasons as it has seen many records tumble. The ongoing match between Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators saw a plethora of records bite dust.

Batting first, Sultans scored 262/3 in their 20 overs and went past Islamabad United's 247/2 that had come against Peshawar Zalmi in Abu Dhabi on June 17, 2021. Sultans' skipper Mohammad Rizwan was one of the primary reasons why his team scored such a gigantic total. Rizwan scored 55 off 29 balls.

But the main reason why Sultans managed to score such a domineering total was because of the flamboyant batting display of Usman Khan. Usman scored 120 runs off 43 balls, including 12 fours and nine sixes. In the process he became the fastest to score a ton in the history of PSL as he reached the three-figure landmark in just 36 balls.

The game saw yet another milestone getting surpassed. The fixture witnessed a jaw-dropping total of 515 runs scored for the loss of 11 wickets in 40 overs and became the highest T20 match aggregate ever. The previous record was of 501 for the loss 12 wickets in 40 overs in Potchefstroom in a game between Knights and Titans in October 2022.

Quetta Gladiators@TeamQuetta

Appreciation tweet for Usman Khan 💯

08:20 PM · Mar 11, 2023

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Talking more about the game, the match started with Sultans in no mood to shut their momentum, as they kept scoring from the word go, and scored 75 runs in the powerplay, with both the openers striking boundaries for fun. However, Usman Khan got out when the scoreboard read 157 at the stroke of tenth over falling prey to Mohammad Nawaz. 

In came the centurion from the last game, Rilee Russouw, who couldn't really carry forward the start he got, losing his wicket for 15. Interestingly, Usman broke the record of the southpaw, as Rossouw had struck a century off just 41 balls in the side's previous outing on Friday, March 10. 

The scoreboard touched the 200-run mark in the 15th over, which is when the skipper also lost his wicket to Qais Ahmad. The fresh pair of Tim David and Kieron Pollard added 58 runs for the fourth wicket and remained unbeaten on 43 and 23 respectively. With such combined efforts, Sultans scored the highest-ever team total of the tournament and fifth highest in the T20 format. 

While the score seems unachievable for the Quetta Gladiators, they have scored 150 at the end of 13 overs losing three wickets, and still require 113 off 42 balls, with Omair Yousuf and Iftikhar Ahmed at the crease on 61 and 38 respectively.

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