Multan Sultans weren’t supposed to have a private owner this year. Scratch that. Multan Sultans (MS) weren’t supposed to be in the PSL this year. But the side an Undertaker-esque comeback and now are preparing well for the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Sultans head into PSL 2026 as one of the most intriguing teams in the tournament. Not just because of their squad, but because of the chaos and change surrounding the franchise itself. After ownership shifts and a brief rebranding phase earlier in the year, the Sultans are back representing South Punjab with a refreshed identity and a heavily rebuilt squad.
Led by the Australian superstar, Ashton Turner, Multan will kickstart their PSL 11 campaign against three-times champion Islamabad United on 28th March.
Multan Sultans Squad:
Steve Smith, Sahibzada Farhan, Josh Phillipe, Mohammad Nawaz, Ashton Turner, Arafat Minhas, Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Peter Siddle, Mohammad Ismail, Faisal Akram, Shan Masood, Arshad Iqbal, Aitzaz Habib Khan, Awais Zafar, Shahzad Gul, Momin Qamar, M Shahzad, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lachlan Shaw, and Delano Potgietor
Multan Sultans Squad Overview:
Multan did not partake in the historic auction this year, as Sialkot Stallionz were in charge, which is now named as Multan Sultans. Nevertheless, they have plenty of good players who have the ability to take PSL 11 by storm.
Starting from their batting, they have arguably the best opening pair in the form of Steve Smith and Sahibzada Farhan. Both players are in great touch and, if anything, the top order of the Sultans looks sorted with these two at the helm.
Since 2023, Steven Smith is the only batter across all T20s to score more than 1000 runs with a 50+ average. He has done it at a strike rate of 157.1, and Farhan is the most prolific batter in T20 cricket since 2025. He has scored the most runs (2558), most fifties (16), most hundreds (6), and most boundaries (360).
Then the side has Shan Masood and Josh Philippe. Shan was part of the Karachi Kings last year. He was recently part of Karachi Whites in the National T20 Cup (NT20 Cup), where he could bat in only one innings.
Talking about Josh, he is an up-and-coming star, a wicketkeeper-batter who is explosive in nature. He was modest in the recent edition of the Big Bash League (BBL), as he scored 292 runs at a strike rate of 137 in 12 innings.
In the lower order, the side can expect heroics from Mohammad Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, and the captain himself, Turner.
Talking about bowling, the pace attack will be led by the temperamental Mohammad Wasim Jnr. He also has Arshad Iqbal, Muhammad Shahzad, and Shehzad Gul, as well as 41-year-old Peter Siddle, who was unavailable in the last edition of the BBL.
Across the last two BBL seasons, Peter Siddle has quietly been one of the most effective bowlers in the competition. In 21 matches, he picked up 28 wickets at an impressive average of 19.92, maintaining a tidy economy rate of 7.5.
Moving to the spinners, the Sultans have varied options at their disposal in Tabraiz Shamsi, Mohammad Nawaz, Faisal Akram, and Arafat Minhas.
Lastly, they also have quite a few options in the all-rounders category, such as Arafat Minhas, Nawaz, and in-form Imran Randhawa. In the recent edition of the NT20 Cup, he took part in 3 games and scored 79 runs at a strike rate of 151. He was the fourth top scorer of the tournament, and he managed to take one wicket as well.
Strengths:
- Turner has an impressive captaincy record in the Big Bash League (BBL) while leading Perth Scorchers. Under Turner’s leadership, Perth Scorchers reached four BBL finals, winning three titles, the most by any captain in BBL history.
- Lethal opening pair in Smith and Farhan
- Varied spin bowling attack
Weakness:
- Raw pace bowling attack
- Lack of power-hitting options down the order
Players to watch out for:
Mohammad Ismail:
Ismail took eleven wickets in the last edition of the National T20 Cup in just five games. In the recent edition, he grabbed three wickets in a single game he featured in for the Multan region. If anything, he has the ability to make a difference with the new ball.
Delano Potgieter:
Potgieter is another serious talent to watch out for in this Multan Sultans squad. He is a medium pacer who can hit some big sixes as well. He is yet to make his debut but has featured across different leagues in the world and has especially shown some great performances in SA T20.
Schedule:
28 March – vs Islamabad United vs Lahore
01 April – vs Hyderabad Kingsmen vs Lahore
03 April – vs Lahore Qalandars vs Lahore
05 April – vs Quetta Gladiators vs Lahore
06 April – vs Pindiz vs Lahore
13 April – vs Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi
19 April – vs Karachi Kings vs Karachi
21 April – vs Pindiz vs Karachi
22 April – vs Hyderabad Kingsmen vs Karachi
26 April – vs Islamabad United vs Karachi
(all the stats were provided by Abdul Rehman Yaseen, source: Espncricinfo)
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