PSL 2023: Quetta Gladiators, Multan Sultans break world record

During the 28th fixture of the ongoing season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Saturday, a new history of T20 cricket was made at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi as Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators made the highest aggregate score in a T20 match.

The two teams together scored 515 runs, setting a new world record.

In response to the Sultans' 262-run target, the Gladiators scored 253 runs, which is the highest ever scored by a team batting second in a T20.

The previous highest total score in a single T20 was 501 runs when the Titans scored 271 runs and the Knights scored 230 runs, in South Africa T20 Challenge in October 2022.

Despite their defeat — which knocks them out of the playoffs race in the tournament — Gladiators scored 253 runs and got the highest score in the second innings.

Earlier, Central District of New Zealand scored 248 runs in the second batting against Otago in 2016.

Sultans on a roll

During the same match, the Sultans managed to set two more records.

First, Sultans batter Usman Khan scored the fastest ton in the history of PSL by smashing a century in merely 36 balls.

The Sultans batter managed to make 120 runs on 43 balls with 12 fours and nine sixes, with a strike rate of 279.1, before being bowled out by Gladiators captain Mohammad Nawaz.

Just yesterday, in the game against Peshawar Zalmi, Sultans Rilee Rossouw broke his own record off the fastest PSL century by hitting a ton in 41 balls.

Then, the Mohammad-Rizwan-led side set the highest target in PSL history by smashing 262 runs at the loss of merely three wickets — Usman Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, and Rilee Rossouw — at a strike rate of 13.1 in 20 overs.

The record for the highest target was previously held by Islamabad United as they had smashed 247 runs at a loss of two wickets at a strike rate of 12.35 in 20 overs against Quetta Gladiators in Abu Dhabi in 2021.