Farhan and Holder make it three in three for Islamabad United

Another half-century from Sahibzada Farhan and an impressive all-round bowling performance spearheaded by Jason Holder helped Islamabad United maintain their perfect streak in PSL 2025, squeezing out Multan Sultans by 47 runs.

Sultans won the toss and inserted United. The bowlers began brightly, with Farhan, fresh off his century against Peshawar Zalmi, and the off-colour Andries Gous kept quiet in the first half of the powerplay. But Farhan wouldn't be kept quiet for long, launching Michael Bracewell for 15 in the fourth over, and another 15 in the last one before the field spread out. David Willey removed Gous when a miscue found midwicket, but 41 still came off the last half of the powerplay.

Usama Mir and Ubaid Shah began to pull United back. Mir allowed just six runs in two overs, and removed Farhan, who had begun to look increasingly dangerous, shortly after his half-century. United continued to go on the offensive, and sneaked a few big overs in, but continued to lose wickets; Shadab Khan and Azam Khan fell soon after to Chris Jordan, while the destructive Colin Munro, who had slapped 48 off 25, became the fifth to go when Ubaid beat him for bounce.

But as has been a theme this tournament, the death bowling wasn't quite up to the same level in the first innings. Haider Ali and Holder feasted on the inaccuracy, the former dispatching Jordan for three successive boundaries before Holder tucked into Ubaid, a four and a six getting the allrounder going. It was part of a collective onslaught that saw 64 come off the final four overs, edging United past 200 for the second consecutive game.

Naseem Shah struck first over to send Shai Hope back, but it wouldn't stop Sultans from getting off to a quick start. A wayward second over from Naseem was punished for 17 while Riley Meredith's first went for 18 after Usman dismissed two slower balls over the rope. Imad Wasim, crucially, struck to dismiss him off the penultimate ball of the powerplay, but his 20-ball 31 meant Sultans were on track at that stage.

That, though, was as good as it got for Sultans as United grew into the innings. The next five overs saw Shadab and Imad apply the squeeze as just 29 were scored, and the need to take on ever-increasing risk brought about the fall of Mohammad Rizwan, a failure to get underneath Shadab seeing him hole out into the deep.

Bracewell and Iftikhar Ahmed kept Sultans interested with a lively 24-run partnership, but Rizwan's men had begun to buckle under Sultan's asphyxiating pressure. Bracewell and Willey fell within four runs of each other, Holder taking a catch off Meredith's bowling before the Australian returned the favour. Holder, by now, was the principal architect of Sultans' collapse, cutting through the lower order like a hot knife through butter. He would knock Mir and Mohammad Hasnain's stumps back before Iftikhar's resistance ended with a tame heave to long-off that polished off the innings for 155. It keeps Sultans in search of their first win a tournament in which United look increasingly impregnable.