Sahibzada Farhan and opening partner Steve Smith constructed a solid platform that paved the way for a comprehensive Multan Sultans triumph over Quetta Gladiators in match number 13 of the Pakistan Super League 2026 season.

The two aggressive openers combined for a 71‑run partnership within the first five overs, a blitz that thrust Multan Sultans into a commanding position. After the opening stand, Shan Masood anchored the innings, guiding Multan Sultans to the target with 2.3 overs remaining.

During the course of the blistering opening partnership, Sahibzada Farhan also declined a single that would have allowed Steve Smith to retain strike. While the decision appeared to be a routine tactical call at the moment, many supporters interpreted the refusal as a subtle act of retribution for an earlier incident involving Steve Smith and Babar Azam.

The perception of revenge gained traction among Pakistani cricket fans who recalled Steve Smith’s decision to turn down a single offered by Babar Azam during the Big Bash League 2025‑26 season, an episode that sparked widespread debate about sportsmanship and respect.

Sahibzada Farhan declines Steve Smith’s single

Multan Sultans began their chase of 167 runs against Quetta Gladiators with a burst of intent. At one stage, opening batter Steve Smith accelerated to 35 not out off just 12 deliveries in the third over of the innings.

Also Read- Sahibzada Farhan Joins Virat Kohli, Closes Gap On Babar Azam With PSL Century

On the final delivery of that over, Steve Smith attempted to play the ball from Quetta Gladiators paceman Tom Curran across the line. The delivery struck Steve Smith’s pad after an inside edge, creating a clear opportunity for a single.

Steve Smith, eager to retain strike, swung his bat to extract a run. Sahibzada Farhan, standing at the non‑striker’s end, chose to refuse the single, thereby keeping Steve Smith on strike for the next over.

The refusal sparked immediate speculation that Sahibzada Farhan might have been seeking a form of pay‑back against Steve Smith, recalling the earlier BBL episode where Steve Smith allegedly “disrespected” Babar Azam by declining a similar single opportunity.

When Steve Smith left Babar Azam humiliated in BBL 2025‑26

Earlier in the same calendar year, during match number 37 of the Big Bash League 2025‑26, Sydney Sixers opener Steve Smith and Babar Azam compiled a massive 141‑run partnership over 12 overs while chasing a daunting target of 190.

Within that stand, Babar Azam contributed 47 runs from 39 balls, a knock that featured a notable number of dot balls and resulted in a strike rate of 120.51, which fell below the aggressive tempo required for such a chase.

In the 11th over of the innings, Babar Azam faced three consecutive dot balls. When Babar Azam attempted a single off the final delivery of the over, Steve Smith declined the chance, opting instead to keep the strike.

The decision appeared to sting Babar Azam, prompting Steve Smith to respond emphatically in the following over. Steve Smith struck four consecutive sixes and a boundary off Ryan Hadley, accelerating his own innings to a rapid century achieved off just 41 balls.

Despite Steve Smith’s surge, Babar Azam’s innings concluded shortly thereafter when Nathan McAndrew dismissed Babar Azam, leaving Babar Azam with a modest 47 from 39 balls as the innings progressed.

Did Sahibzada Farhan really take revenge for Babar?

Although Sahibzada Farhan’s refusal of Steve Smith’s single in the final ball of the over during the PSL 2026 encounter appears dramatic, a closer tactical analysis suggests that the decision was driven primarily by situational strategy rather than a personal vendetta.

Unlike the scenario involving Babar Azam, where Steve Smith’s choice to retain strike was perceived as a slight, Sahibzada Farhan’s decision aligned with a broader game plan aimed at maximizing the momentum generated by the opening partnership.

Steve Smith, still in “beast mode” during the PSL 2026 match, continued to dominate the scoring, ultimately top‑scoring with an aggressive 53 off 35 balls. The partnership between Sahibzada Farhan and Steve Smith set the foundation for Multan Sultans to chase down 167 runs in just 17.3 overs, securing victory with six wickets in hand.

Also Read- 2 More Players Leave Karachi Kings After David Warner’s Fight

Discover more

Fan reaction and media narrative

Social media channels lit up immediately after the match, with fans posting screenshots of the final ball in the third over and attaching captions that highlighted the parallel with the BBL incident. Hashtags such as #RevengeForBabar and #FarhanSaysNo quickly trended across platforms, reflecting a collective appetite for narrative drama.

Prominent Pakistani cricket analysts highlighted that the image of Sahibzada Farhan turning down Steve Smith resonated strongly because it invoked a familiar storyline of “respect versus disrespect” that had already captured public imagination during the earlier BBL clash.

Although the statistical likelihood of a single being offered in that exact moment was not high, the symbolic weight of the gesture proved sufficient to dominate post‑match commentary. Television pundits repeatedly referenced the BBL episode while dissecting the tactical merits of Sahibzada Farhan’s decision.

Technical breakdown of the partnership

The opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan and Steve Smith yielded 71 runs in just five overs, an average of 14.2 runs per over, which placed Multan Sultans well ahead of the required run‑rate from the outset. Both batsmen displayed a mixture of aggressive boundary hitting and calculated rotation of strike.

Sahibzada Farhan contributed with crisp drives through the covers and a handful of lofted shots over mid‑wicket, while Steve Smith demonstrated his trademark late‑cut and powerful pull‑shot to dominate the shorter boundaries.

The decision to decline the single that would have allowed Steve Smith to retain the strike can be understood within the framework of preserving the partnership’s momentum. By keeping Steve Smith on strike, Multan Sultans ensured that the batsman who had just timed a high‑impact shot could continue to capitalize on the bowler’s line and length weaknesses.

Furthermore, maintaining Steve Smith’s strike meant that Multan Sultans could continue to apply pressure on Quetta Gladiators’ bowlers early in the innings, a tactic that aligns with conventional power‑play strategies employed in limited‑overs cricket.