Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans by 4 wickets in the 40th match of 44 in the Pakistan Super League 2026 Regular Season. Islamabad United won by 4 wickets (with 8 balls remaining). The win tightens the top-four battle with four games of the league phase remaining – United move to 11 points and close within one of second-placed Multan.
First Innings – Multan Sultans 192/7 (20 overs)
Multan Sultans elected to bat after Islamabad United chose to bowl at the toss, and the opening pair of Sahibzada Farhan and Steven Smith got Multan off to a flying start. Both made 30 – Farhan off 18 balls, Smith off 19 – dismissed within moments of each other as the score stood at 60/2 after 6.1 overs. The platform was solid without being dominant.
Shan Masood anchored the middle overs with 44 off 33 (3 fours, 2 sixes). Josh Philippe (11 off 13) and Ashton Turner (9 off 5) came and went at 102 and 113 respectively – neither building the partnership Multan needed. Masood was cleaned up bowled at 129 in over 15.3, removing the cornerstone of the innings. Mohammad Imran Randhawa fell for 5 at 136 in the next over.
Late fireworks from Arafat Minhas (31 off 19, 3 sixes) and Mohammad Wasim Jr (26* off 9, SR 289, 2 fours, 2 sixes) pushed the total to 192/7. Minhas was run out off the last delivery – the pair injecting vital late impetus.
For Islamabad United, Imad Wasim was the pick with 1/23 from 4 overs at an economy of 5.75. Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf and Chris Green each claimed one wicket. Salman Mirza proved expensive – 1/53 from 3 overs.
Second Innings – Islamabad United 193/6 (18.4 overs)
The chase began shakily. Sameer Minhas fell caught for just 1 off 4 balls at 10 in over 1.3. Devon Conway stabilised briefly with 18 off 15 before departing caught at 41 in over 5.1. Mohsin Riaz (25 off 17, SR 147) pushed the score to 72 at over 7.3 before his dismissal left United at 72/3.
Shadab Khan joined Mark Chapman and the pair built a crucial 63-run partnership. Shadab contributed 36 off 28 (5 fours, SR 129) before being caught at 135 in over 14.3 – the moment the match tipped into genuine tension. Haider Ali struck 13 off 5 (SR 260) before falling at 154 in over 15.3, leaving United needing 39 off 19 with 4 wickets in hand.
Mark Chapman was immovable. The New Zealander finished unbeaten on 69 off 33 (4 fours, 6 sixes, SR 209), completing the chase in over 18.4 with 8 balls to spare alongside Faheem Ashraf (11 off 9) and Chris Green (5* off 2).
Faisal Akram was Multan’s best with 2/41 from 4 overs, though expensive with 7 wides. Mohammad Wasim Jr went at 15 an over in a punishing spell. Peter Siddle (1/24, economy 8.00) and Mohammad Ismail (1/29, economy 9.67) took wickets without creating enough sustained pressure.
Statz MVP – Mark Chapman (107.55/100)
Mark Chapman earns the Statz MVP award with a rating of 107.55 out of 100 – the formula calculates impact based on match context, and his unbeaten 69 off 33 in a pressure chase registers at the top of the scale. This is in full agreement with the official Player of the Match, which also went to Chapman. No debate on this one.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Mark Chapman (Islamabad United) – 139 Dream11 pts | Statz rating 107.55 – 69* off 33, SR 209, 4 fours, 6 sixes. Match-winning innings under maximum pressure. Statz MVP and official MoM.
- Shadab Khan (Islamabad United) – 89 Dream11 pts – 36 off 28 with the bat plus 1/25 from 3 overs (economy 8.33). The all-round platform that kept the chase viable.
- Steven Smith (Multan Sultans) – 80 Dream11 pts – 30 off 19 (SR 158). A fast start that gave Multan early momentum at the top.
- Mohammad Wasim Jr (Multan Sultans) – 73 Dream11 pts – 26* off 9 (SR 289, 2 fours, 2 sixes). An explosive cameo that pushed Multan to a total that could have won the game.
- Arafat Minhas (Multan Sultans) – 73 Dream11 pts – 31 off 19 (SR 163, 1 four, 3 sixes). Lower-order hitting in the final overs that made the target as stiff as possible.
Turning Point
Over 14.3: Shadab Khan caught off Faisal Akram at a score of 135/5. Islamabad United needed 58 from 33 balls with 4 wickets standing and their captain dismissed. It was the moment the game was there for Multan to take. Chapman had other ideas.
Match Context
With this win, Islamabad United sit 3rd with 11 points (W5 L3 NR1, NRR +1.766), now just one point behind Multan Sultans in 2nd (12 pts, W6 L3, NRR +0.450). Peshawar Zalmi lead the table with 17 points from 10 games. Four matches remain in the PSL 2026 Regular Season – the playoff picture remains tight with three points separating 2nd and 5th place. Multan’s lead at the top is now precarious.
Full scorecard: statz.ai/cricket/fixtures/69513/islamabad-united-vs-multan-sultans/scorecard
