Billings, Shafique and Rashid put Lahore Qalandars in the PSL play-offs

A 69-run third-wicket partnership between Sam Billings and Abdullah Shafique combined with Rashid Khan's three-for pushed the defending champions Lahore Qalandars into the PSL play-offs once more, with victory over Multan Sultans.

After opting to bat, Qalandars lost Fakhar Zaman for a duck in the first over. Mirza Baig and Shafique then combined to up the ante, taking Khushdil Shah for 17 runs in the second over as they helped rebuild the innings with a 49-run stand. Ihsanullah broke through with Baig's wicket as Mohammad Rizwan completed a superb catch behind the stumps, following which Billings joined Shafique at the crease. Then on, the duo made sure they scored boundaries regularly on their way to their strong stand.

Kieron Pollard struck to remove Shafique in the 13th over for 48 and then struck again in his next over to dismiss Billings soon after the England batter reached his half-century. Qalandars lost wickets at regular intervals following his dismissal but they did not let the run rate drop too much. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi struck two boundaries in the last over before getting dismissed to take his side to a strong 180 for 9.

Sultans, meanwhile, got off to a sedate start in the chase. Zaman Khan removed Shan Masood for a 20-ball 19 in the seventh over. Raza then pinned Rizwan in front in the 10th over. It was then Rashid's turn to do his thing: following a double-strike in the 11th over where he removed Usama Mir and David Miller, he took Rilee Rossouw out in the 13th. The required run rate had soared to over 15 by the end of the 15th over, and Sultans struggled to keep up with it. Pollard did hit two sixes and a four in the last over, but it was too late by then as Sultans crumbled to a 21-run loss.