Qalandars hand Multan first defeat in 13-over shootout

Lahore Qalandars handed Multan Sultans their first defeat of the season with a 20-run win in a rain-hit 13-over game in Lahore.

Mohammad Naeem led the way with a quick 60 off 28 balls, while Parvez Hossain Emon smashed 45 off 19 in a blazing opening stand. The pair set the tone early, racing past fifty inside four overs.

Multan pulled things back slightly in the final overs with four wickets for 33 runs, but Qalandars still finished with a strong 185 for 5.

Chasing a steep target, Multan lost early wickets and were under pressure from the start. Shaheen Afridi struck early with the wicket of Steve Smith, and Mustafizur Rahman removed Sahibzada Farhan and Shan Masood later to keep the chase in check.

Masood (44 off 18) and Ashton Turner tried to fight back through aggressive knocks, with Turner finishing unbeaten on 52 off 22 balls. The two added 50 off 24 balls for the fourth wicket, and after Masood was out, Arafat Minhas joined hands with Turner and added 57 off 20 for the next wicket.

As many as 38 runs came in the final couple of overs, but the asking rate was far beyond reach by then, thanks to the early damage.

Brief scores: Lahore Qalandars 185/5 in 13 overs (Mohammad Naeem 60; Mohammad Ismail 2-47) beat Multan Sultans 165/5 in 13 overs (Ashton Turner 52*, Shan Masood 44; Mustafizur Rahman 2-37) by 20 runs.