KARACHI: Entering their debut HBL Pakistan Super League season with four losses in a row, Hyderabad Kingsmen had come a long way into Wednesday’s night fixture against the high-flying Multan Sultans, winning the next three on a trot.

With their eyes on the playoff spot, their hopes were boosted by Usman Khan, who neared his nineties, and captain Marnus Labuschagne at the other end, anchoring with authority.

The Kingsmen needed 52 off the last six overs, to cancel out Steve Smith’s century effort earlier. And then Sultans captain Ashton Turner turned to his fellow Australian Peter Siddle.

The 41-year-old, 67-Test veteran, steamed in, got hit by Usman for a six over deep fine leg. But bounced back instantly, hitting the deck hard to get Labuschagne caught at short fine, breaking a 123-run partnership.

After Usman completed his century — the fastest of the season — in the next over off Mohammad Wasim, Siddle returned. A slower one saw Glenn Maxwell hole out, before Usman himself fell attempting another big hit, leaving Hyderabad wobbling with the finish line in sight.

But the Kingsmen found unlikely composure in the lower order. Hassan Khan and Irfan Khan Niazi combined nerves with audacity.

Hassan, fearless from the outset, whipped a low full toss over fine leg for six and followed it with a crisp drive past mid-off. Irfan complemented him with a stunning flat six over cover off Mohammad Wasim that shifted the pressure back on Multan.

With eight needed off the final over, the pair kept their cool — nudging singles before Hassan sealed the chase in emphatic fashion, pulling a slower bouncer over midwicket for six to spark jubilant celebrations.

The four-wicket victory propelled Hyderabad into the top four, marking their fourth consecutive win and a remarkable turnaround in the standings, while Multan’s hold near the summit loosened after a game they had largely controlled.

The chase, however, had not begun smoothly. Early strikes from Multan saw Maaz Sadaqat fall to Mohammad Ismail, followed by the struggling Saim Ayub, leaving the Kingsmen under pressure in the powerplay. The situation worsened when Kusal Perera departed for a duck, reducing them to 54 for three.

What followed was a counter-attacking masterclass. Usman and Labu­schagne rebuilt with authority, mixing classical strokeplay with brute force.

Labuschagne was elegant, threading boundaries through cover and executing a deft reverse ramp, while Usman unleashed carnage — dispatching anything short into the stands.

The pair raised their 50-run stand briskly, and soon after brought up their individual half-centuries — Labuschagne off 31 balls, Usman in just 20.

Usman’s innings, in particular, was breathtaking. He peppered the leg side with towering sixes, especially against spin, while also showing range with lofted drives over cover.

Labuschagne, though less explosive, was equally vital, rotating strike and punishing loose deliveries. Their 123-run stand off 64 balls turned the chase on its head before Siddle’s intervention in the 16th over triggered a late twist.

Smith’s ton in vain

Earlier, Multan had piled up a formidable 213 for seven, built around Smith’s imperious century. After a cautious start from Sahibzada Farhan, the duo accelerated steadily.

Sahibzada struck the first blow with a towering six over long-on, before Smith began to dictate terms with innovative strokeplay — scoops, ramps and fierce cuts unsettling the bowlers.

Both batters reached their half-centuries in the 10th over — Smith bringing his up in just 25 balls with a towering six, while Sahibzada followed soon after with a single.

Their opening stand of 132 laid a perfect platform. Sahibzada eventually departed for 66, but Smith pressed on relentlessly, racing to his century in just 48 deliveries with a flurry of boundaries.

However, his dismissal for 106 — mistiming a lofted shot — exposed Multan’s fragility. The middle and lower order failed to capitalise, with wickets tumbling in the death overs.

Pacer Akif Javed led the fightback brilliantly, claiming three wickets in the final over, including Turner and Josh Philippe, as Multan lost momentum and finished short of what once seemed inevitable.

In the end, it was Hyderabad’s resilience — and Hassan’s finishing flourish — that defined a pulsating contest under the Karachi lights.

Scoreboard

MULTAN SULTANS: Sahibzada Farhan c Labuschagne b Maxwell66 Steven Smith c Labuschagne b Hassan106 Josh Philippe b Akif19 Shan Masood b Ali1 Arafat Minhas c Maaz b Hunain2 Ashton Turner b Akif5 Mohammad Imran not out9 Mohammad Nawaz b Akif0 EXTRAS (LB-4, W-1)5 TOTAL (for seven wickets, 20 overs)213 DID NOT BAT: Peter Siddle, Mohammad Wasim, Muhammad Ismail FALL OF WICKETS: 1-132 (Sahibzada), 2-185 (Smith), 3-188 (Shan), 4-199 (Arafat), 5-204 (Turner), 6-213 (Philippe), 7-213 (Nawaz) BOWLING: Ali 4-0-24-1 (1w), Akif 3-0-30-3, Hunain 4-0-58-1, Saim 2-0-28-0, Hassan 4-0-28-1, Labuschagne 1-0-15-0, Maxwell 2-0-26-1 HYDERABAD KINGSMEN: Maaz Sadaqat c Philippe b Ismail7 Marnus Labuschagne c Wasim b Siddle61 Saim Ayub c Nawaz b Ismail5 Kusal Perera b Ismail0 Usman Khan c&b Siddle101 Glenn Maxwell c Arafat b Siddle2 Irfan Khan not out8 Hassan Khan not out24 EXTRAS (B-1, NB-1, W-4)6 TOTAL (for six wickets, 19.3 overs)214 DID NOT BAT: Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed FALL OF WICKETS: 1-14 (Maaz), 2-48 (Saim), 3-48 (Perera), 4-171 (Labuschagne), 5-181 (Maxwell), 6-182 (Usman) BOWLING: Imran 4-0-33-0 (1w), Ismail 3.3-0-41-3 (2w), Siddle 4-0-39-3 (1nb), Arafat 2-0-28-0, Nawaz 1-0-18-0, Turner 1-0-8-0, Wasim 4-0-46-0 (1w) RESULT: Hyderabad Kingsmen won by four wickets. MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Usman Khan

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2026