Hyderabad hand Rawalpindiz sixth straight HBL PSL defeat

Hyderabad Kingsmen registered their third consecutive win in the Pakistan Super League after defeating their debutant counterparts Rawalpindiz by five wickets at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Thursday evening.

After a shaky start to the season, losing their first four matches, Hyderabad have found momentum and now look like a transformed side with three wins on the trot. In contrast, Rawalpindiz have struggled in all departments, remaining winless after six matches and continuing to look out of depth

While chasing a paltry 122-run target, the Kingsmen got over the line in 16.3 overs, powered by key contributions from captain Marnus Labuschagne, Kusal Perera, and Irfan Khan Niazi.

The chase began shakily as Asif Afridi removed Maaz Sadaqat in the opening over.

Labuschagne and Saim Ayub then steadied things briefly, but Afridi struck again to dismiss Saim for 15.

Rawalpindiz kept fighting back, and Saad Masood trapped Labuschagne lbw after his brisk 32, leaving Kingsmen at 68-4. The pressure increased when Ben Sears dismissed Glenn Maxwell for a first-ball duck.

However, Perera and Irfan Niazi turned the game around with a crucial 50-run stand. Perera remained unbeaten on 32, while Irfan contributed 34, guiding their team to victory with ease.

First innings

After being invited to bat first, the Rawalpindiz were restricted to 121-9 in their 20 overs, thanks to a disciplined bowling effort from the Kingsmen.

Maxwell provided the early breakthrough, dismissing Usman Khawaja cheaply, before Mohammad Ali bowled Mohammad Rizwan for 15 to leave them struggling at 20-2.

The pressure mounted as Hunain Shah removed Daryl Mitchell for a duck and later dismissed Abdullah Fazal, reducing Rawalpindiz to 41-4. Yasir Khan and Sam Billings attempted to rebuild the innings, but Ali struck again to break their stand.

Wickets fell at regular intervals thereafter, including a run-out by Labuschagne and the dismissal of Billings for 26. Late contributions pushed the total past 100, but Hunain claimed his third wicket, while Ali also completed a three-wicket haul.

Both Ali and Hunain starred with three wickets each, while Asif Mehmood and Maxwell chipped in with one apiece to seal a dominant all-round performance for Hyderabad Kingsmen.