PSL 2026: Usman, Hunain guide Hyderabad to final with thrilling 2-run win over Islamabad

Hyderabad Kingsmen qualified for the final of Pakistan Super League 2026 (PSL 2026), beating Islamabad United by two runs in Eliminator 2 fixture on Friday, May 1 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. After being put in to bat first, Hyderabad posted a good score of 186/5 in their allotted 20 overs, courtesy of a half-century from Usman Khan.

In reply, Islamabad came agonisingly close to chasing down the target, but were eventually restricted to 184/7 in their 20 overs, falling three runs short. Hunain Shah (2/37) and Mohammad Ali (2/44) scalped two wickets each for Hyderabad at crucial stages to stem the run flow.

Earlier in the day, Hyderabad lost their last game’s hero, Maaz Sadaqat, for a four-ball duck in the very first over. However, captain Marnus Labuschagne (39 off 32) and Saim Ayub (38 off 27) stitched a 70-run stand off 52 balls for the second wicket to stabilise the innings.

After Chris Green ended their partnership, dismissing Ayub, Imad Wasim struck twice in his over, dismissing a well-set Labuschagne and the dangerous Glenn Maxwell (3 off 6) to leave Hyderabad reeling at 85/4 in 11.4 overs.

It took a massive 101-run stand off 50 balls between Usman Khan and Kusal Perera (37 off 21) to guide Hyderabad’s score past 180. In reply, Islamabad lost Sameer Minhas (6 off 4) and Mohsin Riaz (5 off 4) early in their run chase, but Devon Conway (30 off 25) kept the fight going.

The game almost seemed over for Islamabad after Conway and Shadab (22 off 24) departed in quick succession, leaving their team on 68/4 in 10.1 overs. However, contributions from Mark Chapman (43 off 26), Haider Ali (31 off 16), Faheem Ashraf (19 off 11) and Chris Green (21* off 9) took Islamabad on the verge of victory as they needed just six runs to win from the last over.

However, Hyderabad held their nerve in the last over and registered a thrilling two-run victory to qualify for their maiden final. 

Top run-scorer of the Match

Top wicket-taker of the Match

Player of the Match

Hunain Shah was adjudged Player of the Match for his magnificent spell. He registered figures of 2/37 in four overs, grabbing crucial wickets of Mark Chapman and Faheem Ashraf.

Turning Point

Hunain Shah only had five runs to defend in the last over as Islamabad needed six to win and seal their berth in the final. However, the 22-year-old held his nerve to deliver a masterclass in death bowling and sealed an improbable win for his side. 

What did the captains say:

Winning Captain, Marnus Labuschagne (Hyderabad Kingsmen):

"I don’t have words to describe what we have done today. I mean, this team, we are providing entertainment that's for sure. It looked like we were going to win it relatively comfortably, and then we don't. And then all of a sudden, it looks like it's over - pack our bags, we are gonna go home. And then Hunain Shah defends six and goes for what? Four? Three. Three in the last over to win the game, with four fielders out. Yeah, I can’t describe what we’ve just done. Where we’ve come as a team - I’ve got goosebumps just talking about it. Everything, the ownership - I’ve said this numerous times - but everything that they have put in - the faith, the trust and selecting each person in this squad for a reason that might not have been clear to the outside. And every person has shown their skill in spades over the tournament. I keep coming back to Usman Khan - like eight games he was struggling, and all of a sudden, he's just pulled this back, 66 off 30 on a wicket which we felt like was a bit two-paced. We were talking about 170-180 out there, and he played unbelievably. And then the bowlers to once again get those breakthroughs in the powerplay. I mean they’ve been fantastic. We’ve spoken about this before but Hunain Shah bowled an over that was expensive, and I just knew that moment would build. I think it was actually perfect, the fact we had only four fielders out - cos it just made it simple. Have everyone straight and just try and bowl six yorkers. So, I don’t really know what else to say."

Losing Captain, Shadab Khan (Islamabad United):

Yes, absolutely. If you look at the lapses we made from the start, those small mistakes at the end of the day reduce your margin. So obviously, death bowling was a concern. Throughout the tournament, we didn’t bowl that well in the death overs, and today it was somewhat similar. I think we conceded 10-15 more. (what went wrong in the chase?) I think wickets fell at crucial moments. Especially speaking about myself, I feel I could have played better and carried the momentum. We were waiting for momentum, and whenever we got a bit of it, we lost wickets. At the end of the day, it’s also a mind game. In the last over, I think we could have read the game situation better and played accordingly. (thoughts on the season) It was a very good tournament overall. As we saw Sameer in batting, we already knew he was an exceptional talent, but the way he performed on the big stage under pressure was outstanding. I think everyone contributed. Chappie, we know how he likes playing in Pakistan. Also, our three spinners bowled really well in the middle overs. So overall, it was a good team performance. Obviously, it’s disappointing that we didn’t qualify for the final, but at the end of the day, the team that plays better wins.