Debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen sealed their spot in the HBL PSL 2026 playoffs with a commanding 108-run victory over Rawalpindiz at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Defending a massive 245, the Kingsmen needed to restrict Rawalpindiz to 158 or less, and their bowlers delivered a clinical performance, dismissing the opposition for just 136 to secure a place in the last four in dramatic fashion.
The result also knocked defending champions Lahore Qalandars out of PSL 11 on an inferior net run rate.
Chasing a daunting target, Rawalpindiz got off to a poor start when Akif Javed struck early, removing Shahzaib Khan for just 1.
Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khawaja attempted to rebuild with a steady partnership, taking the score past 50, but their 43-run stand ended when Hunain Shah dismissed Rizwan for 26 off 16 balls.
Khawaja continued and brought up his second PSL half-century, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Kamran Ghulam was dismissed for a duck, while Sam Billings scored 23 off 12 before departing.
Asif Afridi was run out for 3, and Ben Sears was dismissed for a duck, as Rawalpindiz were bowled out well short of the target. Khawaja remained unbeaten on 66 off 43 balls, hitting nine fours.
Hunain Shah led the bowling effort with four wickets, while Akif Javed picked up three. Mohammad Ali and Glenn Maxwell chipped in with one wicket each.
First innings
Batting first in a must-win contest, the Kingsmen needed a big total and were powered by aggressive contributions from Usman Khan, Kusal Perera, Glenn Maxwell and Maaz Sadaqat.
Maaz scored 28 off 11 before his dismissal left the side at 64-2. Usman continued his attacking approach, bringing up his fifth PSL fifty. Saim Ayub added a quick 12 before departing, and the Kingsmen crossed the 100-run mark soon after.
A brief setback followed when Saad Masood struck twice, dismissing Usman for a blazing 54 off 26 balls and Irfan Niazi for a duck, leaving Hyderabad at 119-5.
From there, Kusal Perera and Glenn Maxwell rebuilt brilliantly, adding a crucial 108-run partnership to take the total past 200. Maxwell played a standout knock, scoring 70 off 37 balls, including eight fours and three sixes, before being run out in the final over.
Perera remained unbeaten on 50 off 30 balls, while Hassan Khan contributed a quick 16, helping Hyderabad Kingsmen post a formidable 244-6.
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