Hunain's clutch 20th over sends Hyderabad Kingsmen into PSL final

Earlier, Usman Khan's 61 had set Islamabad United a competitive target of 186

Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi

Published: May 1, 2026, 6:43 PM (2 hrs ago)

Hyderabad Kingsmen 186 for 5 (Usman 61*, Imad 2-16) beat Islamabad United 184 for 7 (Chapman 43, Hunain 2-37, M Ali 2-44) by two runs

With Islamabad United needing only six runs in the 20th over to make the PSL 2026 final, Hunain Shah conceded just three runs to instead take Hyderabad Kingsmen into the title clash. Kingsmen will now face Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday for the PSL trophy.

The odds were heavily stacked against Kingsmen with six balls to go. Chris Green and Faheem Ashraf had just plundered Mohammad Ali for 22 runs in the 19th, but Hunain began the 20th with a dot and then nailed five consecutive yorkers. The third of those yorkers dismissed Faheem, holing out to long off, and bringing a new batter on strike. Eventually, with United needing four off the final delivery, all Hunain conceded was a leg bye.

No total was going to be safe on Friday night at the Gaddafi Stadium with a belter of a pitch on offer and dew present. United had 187 to chase - nothing too audacious for this surface - and sensational cameos of Mark Chapman (43 off 26), Haider Ali (31 off 16), and Green (21 not out off nine) brought them back after an early stutter.

That early jolt in the chase came from a hostile spell of fast bowling and the trouble caused made by spinners Saim Ayub and Hassan Khan. The batting trio, though, ensured United could recover from 68 for 4 in ten overs, to leave a jam-packed crowd entertained till the last ball.

In the first innings, Kingsmen needed a recovery of their own to post a total that was - in hindsight - just enough. They were 85 for 4 in 11.4 overs, but their innings was resurrected courtesy a sparkling stand of 101 off 50 balls between Usman Khan and Kusal Perera. Every run counted because not only did United enjoy batting second, but the venue record was not promising either to the Kingsmen; the last five games at the venue had been won by chasing sides.

Usman, who made an unbeaten 61 off 30, had luck going his way again - dropped twice in the innings. He went on the offensive with Perera, who made 37 off 21, after Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell fell in the same Imad Wasim over. Labuschagne had earlier steadied the ship with Saim, who made the highest score of his season with 38 off 27, after Maaz Sadaqat fell on duck to Richard Gleeson in the first over.

Kingsmen have now won seven of their last eight matches. It is an epic turnaround for a team that lost their first four matches, and now find themselves just one step away from the ultimate prize.

Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi is a cricket journalist based in Lahore

Click here to read article