KARACHI, Pakistan, CMC – A cameo all-round performance by former West Indies Twenty20 captain, Carlos Brathwaite, went in vain as his Multan Sultans crashed to a three-wicket loss to two-time champions Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League here yesterday.
Sent in, Sultans posted 150 for eight off their 20 overs at the National Stadium, with captain Mohammad Rizwan top-scoring with 71 off 53 balls and South African Rilee Rossouw chipping in with 25 from 14 deliveries.
Opener Rizwan struck eight fours and a couple of sixes, first in a 48-run second wicket stand with James Vince (16) and then in a 35-run, third wicket partnership with Rossouw, who belted two fours and sixes.
Once Rossouw holed out to short third man off leg-spinner Shadab Khan, United lost three wickets for 21 runs before Brathwaite arrived to pummel two fours and a six in a 14-ball unbeaten 22, inspiring a 32-run sixth wicket stand with Rizwan.
Teenaged seamer Mohammad Wasim (3-29) yorked Rizwan off-stump to break the stand in the penultimate over of the innings and also removed veteran all-rounder Shahid Afridi with the very next delivery, skying to Shadab at short cover.
In reply, United reached their target with an over to spare, with Lewis Gregory hitting an unbeaten 49 to see them over the line.
They were scrambling at 74 for six in the 12th over but Gregory struck half-dozen fours and a six off 31 deliveries, putting on 43 for the seventh wicket with Faheem Ashraf (22) and a crucial 34 in an unbroken eight wicket stand with Zafar Gohar (3 not out).
Englishman Alex Hales had earlier hit 29 off 20 deliveries with two fours and sixes.
Brathwaite finished with two for 23 from his four overs of medium pace.
In the other game at the venue, Guyana and West Indies all-rounder, Sherfane Rutherford, struck 26 from 24 deliveries but his Peshawar Zalmi went down by four wickets to Lahore Qalanders.
And on Saturday, veteran West Indies opener Chris Gayle hit 39 from 24 balls for Quetta Gladiators folded for 121 and Karachi Kings easily overhauled their target in the 14th over.