PSL 2021 | You need to ignore the noise when you go for the win, states Mohammad Rizwan

Following the back-to-back losses at the start of the competition, Mohammad Rizwan-led Multan Sultans found themselves in a precarious position, at the bottom of the table. While they won their third encounter against Lahore Qalandars, they went back to losing ways before they finally found the winning streak. 

“Credit to god, who took us from bottom to the top tonight. Credit to our managers as well, who've made it so comfortable for us during this second leg. Finals are pressure games - you can't avoid that in the final. We discussed that and brought it down to two things - it would either be pressure of batting first or batting second,” an elated Rizwan said. 

During the first leg of the competition, the Sultans side were blessed with the appearance of Chris Lynn, James Vince and Rilee Roussouw. However, in the second half of the competition, the franchise had to trust in their domestic players, including a decision to promote Maqsood, a move that paid off dividends for the franchise in the end, with 428 runs in the competition. 

"I got a lot of confidence over the domestic season. In the PSL I hadn't established myself. But here the management showed faith and sent me up the order, particularly when I started batting No. 3, that helped turn things around. I'd taken a break from red-ball cricket for a year and worked on my skills. I was given responsibility as well, that helped. But it mostly came down to my form. I don't want to do anything different - if I get a chance, I'll play with the same kind of mindset and aggression. Credit to the captain and management here who said it doesn't matter if I fail and that I should play my game," said Maqsood.