Gladiators vs Sultans, 3rd Match at Multan, PSL 2023, Feb 15 2023 - Ball by Ball Commentary

9:40pm Right. That will be that from us for tonight. Do join us tomorrow as the Karachi Kings take on Islamabad United. Until next time, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Binoy George and everyone else at ESPNcricinfo! Goodbye, goodnight and take care!

Mohammad Rizwan, Multan Sultans captain: (On the pitch) A win is a win and a team is very happy when they achieve it. The way we planned, we bowled exactly in that manner. You try to assess the conditions. They had three pacers and two off-spinners. We did not have to be rash today. The way Rossouw started and finished was brilliant. Dahani will be a big miss. Our bowlers are inexperienced but if they can bowl this way, they can make a name for themselves.

Ihsanullah, Player of the Match: I gave a good performance today and I have to give credit to Rizwan bhai. Today the ball was zipping through on the wicket and I tried bowling where the coaches told me to. I want to dedicate this award to my parents.

Sarfaraz Ahmed, Quetta Gladiators captain: We could not start well. In the first 10 overs, we could not get going. We should give credit to the way they bowled. Hopefully we can bounce back in the matches that remain. We have plenty of pace (in the bowling attack) but if we don't bowl in the right areas, we will not be able to pick wickets.

9:18pm Well, that was a pretty one-sided contest in the end. The Gladiators got off to a good start, with Thushara sending Masood back early. But once Rossouw established himself at the crease, it was one-way traffic. He was superb against pace and spin, being particularly severe on Thushara in the powerplay. Rizwan did his bit at the other end and while he was not as extravagant as his partner, he ensured that he kept things ticking. Having chased this target down inside 14 overs, the Sultans' NRR would get a boost too - something that could hold them in good stead moving forward.

As for the Gladiators, well, they would want to forget this game as quickly as possible. Their batting unit was blown away by Ihsanullah's searing pace, and their bowlers did not look very penetrative either. The only good thing for them is that such a performance has come right at the start of the tournament, and they have more than enough time to rectify whatever went wrong tonight.

Rilee Rossouw: I have been playing so much cricket so this was just another game. I am feeling pretty alright. (On batting here in Multan) It is fantastic to be back here and playing in front of a crowd. Everyone loves this franchise and everyone plays from the heart. The way we treat each other is with a lot of respect and we enjoy playing.

Iftikhar to continue

The game seems to be in the bag for the Sultans. Should they try and finish this off as quickly as possible, giving their NRR a massive boost right at the start of the tournament?