Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings Timeline Pakistan Super League (PSL) has since 2015 been one of the most competitive T20 leagues around the world with franchises from each and every city of Pakistan. The league has cultivated fierce rivalry between different cities, and one of such rivalry is the match between Multan. Sultan and Karachi Kings. This has certainly led to some eye-catching moments for cricket fans, breathtaking individual performances, and memorable matches. In this report, we will explore the history of the Multan Sultans against the Karachi Kings, highlighted with key events and player performances that have defined this rivalry.
Origin of Rivalry: 2018 – Introduction of Multan Sultans
Multan Sultans joined the PSL in 2018, so they were still a relatively new venture for them, only being the sixth franchise overall. Karachi Kings had already played three seasons and were one of the more established franchises. Since the very opening game, people were looking forward to a showdown between these two teams, representing two major cities in Pakistan, which are Karachi, the busy city, and Multan, an extremely historically rich city in southern Punjab.
They were giving the direction about the upcoming matches in the first game between the two teams in 2018. Karachi Kings have some of the biggest names of Pakistan cricket, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Amir, whereas Multan Sultans were looking to make their mark during their inaugural year under Shoaib Malik.
10 Mar 2018: Multan Sultans make a dominant debut
Multan Sultans didn’t lose any time to announce their presence in the PSL with an exemplary show against Karachi Kings. In their first-ever encounter, Multan all-rounder Kieron Pollard and Kumar Sangakkara put match-winning performances that could have reassured his team to more comforting victory. Multan firmly restricted Karachi by making an even total, and their top-order batsmen chased the target easily that probably showed the message that Sultans are not to be underestimated.
The match proved to be pivotal not only in that it marked the start of this new chapter in PSL history but also because it gave Multan Sultans an early psychological upper hand against Karachi Kings.
2019-2020: Karachi Kings Fight Back
The Karachi Kings would bounce back in the following seasons with captain Imad Wasim at the forefront. For this, the management of the Karachi franchise restructured the side and gave it a boost this time with players such as Alex Hales, Colin Ingram, and Chadwick Walton. Meanwhile, the Multan Sultans continued building up their side, including names like James Vince, Riley Russo, and Sohail Tanveer.
February 24, 2019: Karachi Kings beat Multan Sultans.
Both teams were engaged in a riveting contest during the 2019 edition. Batting first, Karachi Kings created an extremely difficult score for the bowlers due to Colin Ingram’s scintillating half-century. James Vince helped his team to counter but Karachi’s bowling lineup, spearheaded by Mohammad Amir, remained composed in the final overs and began to inch towards a win. This was the match that marked Karachi’s resurrection in the rivalry, and Amir’s bowling was a huge feature in most of their games ahead.
6th March 2020: Tactical Master Class of Multan
In the 2020 season, Multan Sultans portrayed strategy under the leadership of Shaan Masood. In a crunch encounter against Karachi Kings, Multan created a fighting combination with heavy-duty contributions coming from their middle order. But their bowling unit, featuring veteran Sohail Tanveer and leg-spinner Imran Tahir, held Karachi in great grip. Multan being at the top after finishing regular season, announced themselves as title contenders.
2020 PSL Playoffs: Karachi Kings dominate
This season, the 2020 PSL Playoffs have been a really intense rivalry. By Babar Azam’s brilliant form, Karachi Kings went to the playoffs with confidence. Multan Sultans emerged as one of the strongest teams in the league.
14 Nov 2020: Super Qualifier
The Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings fought a tough battle over the qualifier. Batting first, the Multan Sultans came up with a healthy total as Riley Russo and Khushdil Shah made a satisfactory contribution. But in reply for Karachi, Babar Azam actually chased down the opposition with a cool and composed inning. In a match that went right down to the wire, Karachi won the Super Over. The regular play was tied at the end, so Muhammad Amir bowls a clutch over to seal Karachi’s victory to take them into final, and this only intensified rivalry.
November 17, 2020: Karachi Kings lift the trophy
Karachi Kings made history in winning the first PSL title, defeating Lahore Qalandars in the final. Much excitement for Karachi came when they had clinched the win against Multan in the qualifiers, which many called the turning point of their championship run. Even though Multan Sultans dominated the season, the final hurdle occurred when they slipped even further to add to the rivalry with Karachi.
2021-2022: The season of Multan Sultans rise to power.
For 2021 and 2022 PSL, the trend was witnessed to turn back once more for Multan Sultans to emerge as a powerhouse in league cricket. Mohamed Rizwan took over the commanding position of captaincy and with consistency and balance in his team became the team to beat.
27 February 2021: Multan Sultans make a comeback.
In the 2021 season, Multan Sultans took revenge with a comprehensive win over Karachi Kings. Karachi had the best squad, but Multan’s bowling attack led by Shahnawaz Dahani and Imran Tahir could not handle pressure. Rizwan’s calm captaincy and consistent batting form played their roles well in the success of Multan in the new chapter as they entered into this rivalry by winning the title of PSL that same year.
2023: That was the rivalry at its best.
The first match between Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings timeline since 2016 had by the beginning of 2023 become the match everybody was waiting for in the Pakistan Super League. Karachi was merely going through the transition phase, but Multan Sultans were one of the best performing teams in the league.
31st March 2023: A battle for the ages
The most thrilling match result in the 2023 season came from the match between Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans. The match was a run-fest, with new captain Imad Wasim inspiring Karachi to a massive total as Matthew Wade and James Vince played key innings. The match was a cracker of a contest led by Mohammad Rizwan, who played his captaincy innings well; Karachi’s bowlers, especially in Mohammad Amir, scored well in the death overs to seal a memorable win. The match narrated the intensity of the rivalry as both teams gave it their all in a contest that eventually went down to the last over.
The result: a rivalry that continues to evolve.
The Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings has arguably become one of the major highlights in the PSL. Both the teams sport some of the world cricket’s biggest names, and all the matches of these two sides are full of excitement and drama and high-class cricket. Whether it is the strategic acumen of the Multan leadership or the superstar batsmen of Karachi, this rivalry is capturing the imagination of cricket fans across the world.
With the stature increasing of PSL, the Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings timeline will become a much fiercer rivalry and will give us more unforgettable cricketing moments from the upcoming season. Whether it’s tactical masterclass cricket, a match-winning individual performance or a last ball finish, there is certainly one thing sure – when these two teams take the field, cricket fans are in for a treat.
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