PSL 2026: Sadaqat, Khan power Hyderabad into Eliminator 2, end Multan’s campaign

Hyderabad Kingsmen knocked out Multan Sultans from the Pakistan Super League 2026 (PSL 2026) with an eight-wicket victory in the Eliminator 1 fixture on Wednesday, April 29 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. After being put in to bat first, Multan Sultans were restricted for a paltry score of 159/9 in their allotted 20 overs with Akif Javed, Hunain Shah (2/31) and Mohammad Ali (2/34) taking two wickets each.

In reply, Hyderabad Kingsmen chased down the target in 15.2 overs, courtesy of half-centuries from Maaz Sadaqat (64* off 33) and Usman Khan (64 off 35). Earlier in the day, Multan were rocked inside powerplay as Sahibzada Farhan (15 off 12), Steve Smith (13 off 10), and Josh Phillippe (6 off 4) departed cheaply and left their team on 36/3 in 4.3 overs.  

The situation only turned worse for Multan, who were reduced to 52/5 in 7.1 overs as Hyderabad bowlers continued to run through their batting. Only Shan Masood put up a fight with his gutsy half-century to guide his team to a decent score of 159/9 in their 20 overs. 

In reply, Hyderabad lost their captain, Marnus Labuschagne (11 off 9), cheaply. However, Maaz Sadaqat (64*off 33) and Usman Khan (64 off 35) brought their team on the cusp of victory with a massive 102-run stand off 53 balls as Hyderabad eventually chased down the score in 15.2 overs.

Meanwhile, following their win, they will next take on Islamabad United in the Eliminator 2 fixture on May 1 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Top run-scorer of the Match

Top wicket-taker of the Match

Player of the Match

Maaz Sadaqat was adjudged Player of the Match for his brilliant innings of 64* (33), laced with four fours and four sixes as he batted through Hyderabad's innings to get them over the line.

Turning Point

Multan Sultans were not allowed to get off to a good start by the Hyderabad Kingsmen bowlers, who reduced them to 52/5 in 7.1 overs. They couldn't really recover from that position and had to settle for a below-par score.

What did the captains say:

Winning Captain, Marnus Labuschagne (Hyderabad Kingsmen):

It is really hard to put into words what it means for the franchise, the owners, the team, and the sport staff for us to be here: it is really special. We put a lot of work and time into making sure we came prepared today. We played really well especially with the bat and tried to come a few new ideas and a little bit of prep. It is nice that it came off today. [On bouncing back after the defeat to United] We actually addressed it today because I felt when we won that amazing game against Multan we were so high. We probably just expected to go and do the same thing the next game. That is obviously the reason we bowled out for 80. We had another high with that amazing game against Rawalpindiz. It was really important for us to treat this game individually and with the respect that it deserved. [On his fast bowlers] It is just great when you have guys in whom you can put your faith. In T20 cricket, you are always going to have a bad over and be put under pressure. But it doesn't matter because you can just trust them and communicate and they trust that process. I am so proud of the guys from where we were - not winning a game over the first four games and then finding our feet in back half of the tournament and really making a push.

Losing Captain, Ashton Turner (Multan Sultans):

We lost a little bit of momentum over the last couple of games. We had won six out of eight games and were feeling good.In the powerplay, you know, we sort of got outplayed out and, you know, you play on that and have the quality of our top order, you know, we've seen one of the best batting order where the first time we've lost so many wickets in the power play. Unfortunately, it was in the not the game that we wanted. Yeah, I'm really disappointed with how it's finished. But look, everyone in our change room, I'll tell you, generally had a smile on their face. We've had a great time. We had a great group of local players and coaches and support staff, you know, we feel very fortunate to be here playing cricket. And hope we see you again there.