Marnus Labuschagne-led Hyderabad Kingsmen kept their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 final hopes alive by defeating Multan Sultans in the first eliminator.
Asked to chase down the target of 160, Hyderabad did the job in 15.2 overs at the loss of only two wickets. Multan have been ruled out of the PSL 2026 season. With 6 wins and 12 points, Multan finished in the third spot in the points table. They were followed by Hyderabad, who finished with 10 points. Here, we have a look at how Hyderabad can qualify for the PSL 2026 final –
The PSL uses the IPL playoff model and the top two teams have an advantage. The third and fourth-placed teams have to win every game to make it to the final. Since Hyderabad finished fourth, every game is a must-win for them.
They will now face Islamabad United in the second eliminator of the tournament. Under the PSL rules, the winner of the second eliminator will face the winner of the qualifier (Peshawar Zalmi) in the final.
Babar Azam-led Peshawar defeated Islamabad in the first qualifer to punch their ticket to the final. Since Islamabad finished second, they have an advantage and they will get one more chance to qualify for the final. They will take on Kingsmen on May 1. The final of the tournament is scheduled to be played on May 3.
Hyderabad Kingsmen campaign in PSL 2026
Hyderabad Kingsmen made a struggling start to the season and they only started winning after Glenn Maxwell’s arrival. Kingsmen kicked off their campaign with a 69-run defeat against Lahore Qalandars. They lost to Quetta Gladiators in their second game.
Kingsmen suffered back-to-back defeats against Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi. They finally registered their first win of the season against Karachi Kings on April 11.
Kingsmen registered three more wins and defeated Islamabad, Rawalpindiz and Multan Sultans. They lost to Islamabad by 8 wickets. Kingsmen defeated Rawalpindiz in their league stage game. They defeated Multan for the second time in the season (in the eliminator) to keep their final hopes alive.
Hyderabad Kingsmen star performers
Usman Khan tops the run-scoring charts for Hyderabad with 320 runs in 11 matches. He is followed by Marnus Labuschagne, who has scored 285 runs. Mohammad Ali has done the job with the ball and scalped 15 wickets. He is followed by a Hunain Shah, who has 14 wickets.
Hyderabad Kingsmen Squad: Maaz Sadaqat, Saim Ayub, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khan, Kusal Perera, Glenn Maxwell, Hassan Khan, Irfan Khan, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed, Sharjeel Khan, Riley Meredith, Maheesh Theekshana, Rizwan Mehmood, Tayyab Arif, Ahmed Hussain, Shayan Jahangir, Asif Mehmood, Syed Saad Ali, Hammad Azam