Debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen knocked former champions Multan Sultans out of the PSL with an emphatic eight-wicket win in Eliminator 1 at Lahore on Wednesday.
Hyderabad could not have achieved a more dramatic comeback, having won six matches in a row to reach the virtual semifinal after losing the first four matches of the tournament.
They will now take on three-time champions Islamabad on Friday for a place in Sunday’s final against Peshawar Zalmi.
Having restricted Multan Sultans to a modest 159 for nine despite Shan Masood’s 46-ball unbeaten 69, Hyderabad reached home with eight wickets and 28 balls to spare.
Opener Maaz Sadaqat (64 not out off 33 balls, four fours and four sixes) and number four Usman Khan (64 off 35 balls, eight fours, three sixes) scored sparkling half-centuries to earn a comfortable win for Hyderabad.
Earlier, Hunain Shah, Akif Javed and Mohammad Ali took two wickets each for Hyderabad.
“It is really hard to put into words what it means for the franchise, the owners, the team, and the support staff for us to be here: it is really special,” said Hyderabad skipper Marnus Labuschagne.
“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 up with a few new ideas and a little bit of prep. It is nice that it came off today.”
Brief scores:
Eliminator 1 – Hyderabad Kingsmen beat Multan Sultans by eight wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Multan Sultans 159-9, 20 overs (Shan Masood 69 not out, Mohammad Nawaz 18; Akif Javed 2-30, Hunain Shah 2-31, Mohammad Ali 2-34)
Hyderabad Kingsmen 162-2, 15.2 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 64 not out, Usman Khan 64)
Player of the Match: Maaz Sadaqat (Hyderabad Kingsmen)
Friday’s Eliminator 2: Islamabad United vs Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Source: Khaleej Times