Hyderabad Kingsmen Crush Multan to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
Hyderabad Kingsmen beat Multan Sultans by 8 wickets (with 28 balls remaining) at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore – the 42nd match of 44 in the Pakistan Super League 2026 Regular Season. With two rounds left, Hyderabad’s victory keeps their playoff campaign alive while inflicting a damaging defeat on a Multan side that came into this match in the top four.
First Innings – Multan Sultans 159/9 (20 Overs)
Hyderabad won the toss and elected to bowl – a decision that looked shrewd from the very first over. Steven Smith went for 13 off 10 in the third over, caught out with the score at 28/1. Sahibzada Farhan followed two balls later, also caught, leaving Multan at 30/2 after just 3.5 overs. Josh Philippe lasted only four balls before falling LBW to push the score to 36/3 inside five overs.
Ashton Turner came and went for 9, caught in the seventh over as Multan slipped to 51/4. The next delivery effectively sealed the innings – Arafat Minhas dismissed for 1, Multan 52/5 after 7.1 overs with the middle order gone. Saim Ayub was the wrecker, bowling his four overs for 1/23 at an economy of 5.75.
Shan Masood held the innings together with a patient but punchy 69 not out off 46 balls – four fours and four sixes in a strike rate of 150. He found enough support from Mohammad Nawaz (18 off 19, 85/6 at over 11.4) and Peter Siddle (9 off 8, 114/8 at over 15.5) to drag Multan to 159/9, but it was always going to be below par on a Gaddafi track.
Hyderabad’s three-pronged pace attack shared the wickets. Akif Javed was the most economical with 2/30 from four overs (Econ 7.50). Hunain Shah took 2/31 (Econ 7.75) and Mohammad Ali 2/34 (Econ 8.50), while Glenn Maxwell chipped in with 1/28 (3 overs).
Second Innings – Hyderabad Kingsmen 162/2 (15.2 Overs)
The chase was clinical. Marnus Labuschagne fell caught for 11 in the second over with the score at 18/1, but that only brought Maaz Sadaqat to the crease. What followed was a masterclass. Sadaqat and Usman Khan put on 102 for the second wicket – a partnership that put the match to bed by the halfway stage.
Usman Khan hit 64 off 35 balls (eight fours, three sixes, SR 183) before falling caught at 120/2 in the 11th over. Sadaqat carried on unbeaten for 64 off 33 (four fours, four sixes, SR 194), and Saim Ayub saw the chase home with 15 not out off 15. Hyderabad knocked off 160 with 28 balls to spare – a statement win.
Multan’s bowlers had no answer. Faisal Akram was the most economical with 0/20 from 3.2 overs (Econ 6.00) but no wickets came until Ismail picked up the only second-innings scalp. Mohammad Nawaz gave up 19 in his one over; it was a collective capitulation.
Statz MVP – Maaz Sadaqat (92.19/100)
Statz rates Maaz Sadaqat as MVP with a rating of 92.19 out of 100 – Statz calculates impact based on match context. A 64 not out off 33 balls in a successful chase, arriving with wickets falling, earns that score. The official Man of the Match agrees: Sadaqat takes both honours here, with Statz and the match officials aligned.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
Ranked by Dream11 points across the full scorecard:
- Usman Khan (HK) – 132 Dream11 pts. 64 off 35 at SR 183, the engine of the winning chase. Eight fours and three sixes in a powerplay-busting knock.
- Maaz Sadaqat (HK) – 130 Dream11 pts, Statz MVP 92.19/100. 64* off 33 sealed the win with 28 balls remaining.
- Shan Masood (MS) – 123 Dream11 pts. The only Multan batter to hold shape – 69* off 46 almost single-handedly got them to 159.
- Mohammad Ali (HK) – 80 Dream11 pts. 2/34 from four, removed both openers to break the back of the Multan innings early.
- Hunain Shah (HK) – 80 Dream11 pts. 2/31 from four overs, kept the squeeze on through the Multan middle order.
Turning Point
The match turned in over 7.1 when Saim Ayub bowled Arafat Minhas LBW for 1, reducing Multan to 52/5. Five wickets down in 7 overs meant the innings had no foundation to build from – Masood’s heroics could only paper over a crack that was already structural.
Match Context
The 42nd match of 44 in the PSL 2026 Regular Season comes with real stakes. After this result, Multan Sultans drop to 3rd (P10 W6 L4, 12pts, NRR +0.326) – still in the top four but with form reading L-L-W-W-L in their last five. Their playoff spot is no longer nailed on.
Hyderabad Kingsmen sit 4th (P10 W5 L5, 10pts, NRR -0.361) and have kept their campaign alive – though they need results to go their way as well as wins in their remaining matches. Three teams – Hyderabad, Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings, and Peshawar Zalmi – are all in the mix below Islamabad United (1st, 17pts) and Lahore (2nd, 13pts).
For Multan, dropping points at this stage to a direct rival is the worst possible outcome. For Hyderabad, a win by 28 balls with eight wickets in hand also improves NRR – a number that may yet decide which teams make the playoffs.
Full scorecard and Statz ratings: statz.ai
