Usman, Hunain Shah power Hyderabad Kingsmen to PSL 11 final

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st May, 2026) A blistering unbeaten half-century by wicket-keeper batter Usman Khan and inspired bowling by Hunain Shah powered Hyderabad Kingsmen to the final of PSL 11 as they defended 186 runs target and beat three-time champions Islamabad United by 2 runs in the Eliminator 2 at the Gaddafi stadium here on Friday night

Hunain Shah defended 6 runs in the final over as Islamabad United were reduced to 184-7 through some deft bowling by young Hunain Shah who gave a bowling performance far beyond his years and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. All-rounder Chris Green and Faheem Ashraf had plundered 22 runs of the penultimate over bowled by Muhammad Ali – the best bowler for Kingsmen with 17 wickets and tilted the advantage in Islamabad United’s favor as they had needed 28 runs at the start of the 19th over . Chris Green hit two fours and a six while Faheem Ashraf closed the over with a six over long on to reduce the target to mere six in the last over.

Hunain Shah gave away only two runs off the bat and claimed the prized scalp of Faheem Ashraf as he pinned the batters down with in-swinging yorkers in the last over and achieved victory which had eluded the Kingsmen by the close of the 19th over.

Player of the Match (POTM) Hunain Shah did for Kingsmen in bowling what Usman Khan had done in batting in earlier part of the match when Kingsmen looked down and out after losing four wickets for mere 85 runs towards the end of the 12th over of the Kingsmen innings. In-form Usman Khan was the architect of Kingsmen innings and led the onslaught with Kusal Peera to stem the rot and post a healthy total of 186-5. The total proved too hot to handle for the United batters due to some inspired bowling by the fast-bowling trio of Muhammad Ali (44-2), Akif Javed (39-1) and Hunain Shah (37-2).

Usman Khan and Perera got together in the 12th over with their team reeling at 85-4 and built a commanding partnership of 101 off 49 balls as Perera fell off the last ball of the innings. Kingsmen looked to lose the script with the loss of back-to-back wickets of Glenn Maxwell 3 (6) and captain Marnus Labuschagne 39 (32). The Kingsmen found themselves in a hole with the successful Imad Wasim over.

Usman Khan played yet another impactful unbeaten knock of 61 runs off 30 balls and saved his side from blushes. It was Usman’s third fifty plus score which included 10 boundaries. Perera scored 37 off 21 balls and his innings was laced with four boundaries and two 6s.

The Kingsmen did not have a good start to the innings as opener Maaz Sadaqat 0 (4) fell without scoring but Saim Ayub 38 (27) scored the highest number of runs in the PSL 11 so far. He hit seven boundaries.

Hyderabad Kingmen’s decision to promote Maxwell in the batting order and pushing in form Usman Khan down the order did not work. Maxwell, who could score 3 off 6 balls, would have been more lethal in the latter part of the innings with license to kill against the fast bowlers and at least four to be bowled by them.

Similarly, captain Marnus Labuschagne played at a strike rate of 125 and could not play an impact knock for his team. But it was the in-form Usman Khan and Sri Lankan Kusal Perera who rescued their team from a position of bother.

Imad Wasim was the most successful bowler for the United who claimed two wickets for 16 runs off the two overs. Richard Gleeson, Faheem Ashraf and Chris Green shared one wicket among them. Shadab and Salman Mirza remained wicketless.

Chasing a total of 187, Islamabad United did not do well with the bat as they lost two wickets in the power-play with young guns Sameer Minhas 6 (4) and Mohsin Riaz 5 (4) departed early in pursuit of a modest target of 187. Devon Conway 30 (25) and captain Shadab Khan 22 (24) tried to construct the innings laboriously with 42 runs partnership 34 balls but Conway fell to Saim Ayub’s guile. Shadab Khan was the next to depart with his team in trouble at 68-4 in the 11th over.

United were in a similar kind of situation like Kingsmen in the 11th over and needed 119 runs off 59 balls. Usman and Perera had gleaned 101 runs off the last 49 balls. United needed someone to rise to the occasion and win the match for them.

Mark Chapman 43 (26) and Haider Ali 31 (16) played cameos and stitched together 64 runs off 33 balls and took closer to the target when Haider Ali fell in the 16th over with total at 132. Chapman brought his team closer to the target when he departed in the 18th over and United needed 34 off the last 15 balls.

An unbeaten cameo of 9-ball 21 by Chris Green and 11-ball 19 by Faheem Ashraf had put their team into the fourth final of the PSL before Hunain Shah restricted United to 184-7 as he conceded mere two runs to defend 6 runs in the final over.

Islamabad United will face Peshawar Zalmi in the final of the PSL 11 at the Gaddafi stadium on May 3 (Sunday) at 7 p.m.