LAHORE: In a dramatic turnaround, debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen stormed into the final of the Pakistan Super League after defeating Islamabad United by a thrilling two runs in Eliminator-2 at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
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Having lost four of their first five matches earlier in the tournament, Kingsmen scripted a remarkable comeback to book their place in Sunday’s final, where they will face Peshawar Zalmi.
The packed stadium witnessed a nail-biting contest as Islamabad United fell just short while chasing a competitive 187-run target. Despite a late surge by Faheem Ashraf and Chris Green, who added 22 runs in the penultimate over, the match went down to the wire.
Fast bowler Hunain Shah emerged as the hero, defending just six runs in the final over with exceptional composure. He conceded only a single off the first three balls and then dismissed Faheem Ashraf, while restricting the batters to singles on the remaining deliveries. Islamabad needed four runs off the final ball but could manage only one, sealing a dramatic victory for Kingsmen.
Earlier, United’s chase faltered early with quick wickets, including Sameer Minhas and Mohsin Riaz. Although Devon Conway (30) and captain Shadab Khan (22) attempted to stabilize the innings, the required run rate kept climbing.
A crucial partnership between Haider Ali (31) and Mark Chapman (43) revived hopes for United, but timely breakthroughs by Kingsmen bowlers ensured the chase fell agonizingly short.
Earlier in the match, Hyderabad Kingsmen posted 186-5, powered by an unbeaten 61 off 30 balls by Usman Khan. He was well supported by Kusal Perera (37) and Saim Ayub (38), who helped rebuild after an early setback.
Captain Marnus Labuschagne contributed a steady 39, while Islamabad’s Imad Wasim briefly pulled things back with two wickets.
A standout moment in the field came when Hassan Khan produced a stunning boundary save to deny a six, highlighting Kingsmen’s exceptional fielding effort.
Hunain Shah was named Player of the Match for his match-winning spell of 2-37.
With momentum on their side, Hyderabad Kingsmen will now head into the final full of confidence, completing one of the most remarkable journeys in PSL history.
