Kingsmen come crashing down as bowlers seal playoff spot for United
KARACHI: Two days after scripting one of the most emphatic victories of their debut campaign, Hyderabad Kingsmen were brought crashing down to earth as Islamabad United sealed a HBL Pakistan Super League playoff berth with a commanding eight-wicket win at the National Bank Stadium on Friday night.
Riding high on momentum following their triumph over Multan Sultans, the Kingsmen had appeared well-placed to consolidate their push for the last-four stage. Instead, they stumbled to their lowest total of the season — a meagre 80 — as Islamabad’s bowlers combined to dismantle them with ruthless efficiency, tightening an already fierce mid-table battle.
The result propelled Islamabad to 11 points, guaranteeing qualification, while leaving the Kingsmen stranded on eight alongside Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings, setting up a three-way tussle for the final playoff spot heading into the last round.
Having opted to field, United struck immediately through Richard Gleeson, who produced a devastating opening spell that effectively decided the contest.
The English pacer removed Maaz Sadaqat off the very first ball before accounting for Marnus Labuschagne and Saim Ayub inside the powerplay, exploiting movement off a sluggish surface with probing accuracy.
From 12-2 in the third over, the Kingsmen never recovered. Usman Khan, fresh from a century in the previous outing, attempted to anchor the innings but found little support as wickets fell steadily at the other end.
Kusal Perera briefly counterattacked with a pair of boundaries, but his dismissal — top-edging a sweep off Shadab Khan — triggered another collapse.
Glenn Maxwell’s struggles continued as he was trapped lbw by Imad Wasim attempting an ambitious reverse hit, reducing the Kingsmen to 42-5.
Shadab then stamped his authority on the middle overs, removing Irfan Khan and Hassan Khan in successive deliveries, finishing with figures of 3-13. Imad complemented him with three wickets of his own, including the final blows that wrapped up the innings in just 15.5 overs.
Only Usman showed resistance with a laborious 25 off 35 balls, while Asif Mehmood’s late six provided the solitary moment of defiance in an otherwise one-sided innings.
“We just need to make sure that when we find ourselves in different conditions to what we last played on, we’re able to adjust,” Kingsmen head coach Jason Gillespie said after the match.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that tonight. Full credit to Islamabad — they played really well.”
The Australian believed the Kingsmen needed to adapt better when they take on Rawalpindiz in their final and crucial league fixture on Sunday.
“We didn’t adjust and adapt our games. The surface played as we expected — we had played on it earlier in the tournament — so it wasn’t a surprise,” said Gillespie.
“It maybe kept a bit lower than people thought, but that’s no excuse.
“It certainly wasn’t a pitch to get bowled out for 80. We just batted poorly and we acknowledge that. We know we need to be better and adapt. The batters will reflect on that individually and as a group. We missed a trick tonight.”
Chasing a modest 81, United suffered an early hiccup when Devon Conway fell for a duck, but any hopes of a Kingsmen resurgence were swiftly extinguished by an aggressive partnership between Sameer Minhas and Mohsin Riaz.
Sameer settled the innings with calculated strokeplay, while Mohsin launched a blistering assault that ensured the chase was completed with minimal fuss.
The right-hander smashed 42 off just 18 deliveries, peppering the boundary with six fours and two sixes in a display that underscored the gulf between the two sides on the night.
The pair added 79 runs in just over six overs, effectively erasing any scoreboard pressure. Mohsin fell attempting to finish the match in style, but Shadab Khan sealed victory moments later with a crisp boundary, as United raced to 83-2 in only 6.4 overs.
While Islamabad celebrated qualification, the defeat dealt a significant blow to the Kingsmen’s net run rate, which could prove decisive in the tightly packed race for fourth place.
United’s performance coach Rehan Riaz said the side’s mantra of backing their players constantly helped the side book the playoffs despite a few hiccups during the tournament.
“Trusting our players is a major part of the culture at United,” he told reporters after the match. “The boys always look to bounce back after a setback.”
Having climbed into contention with four consecutive wins, including Wednesday’s statement victory, Kingsmen campaign now hinges on the final league fixture.
The standings reflect the shifting dynamics. United’s win not only secured their own progression but also opened the door for Qalandars and Kings, both level on points with the Kingsmen but marginally behind on net run rate.
With Quetta Gladiators still mathematically alive, albeit outsiders, the closing stages promise a tense scramble.
SCOREBOARD
HYDERABAD KINGSMEN:
Maaz Sadaqat c Imad b Gleeson 0
Marnus Labuschagne c Faheem b Gleeson 5
Saim Ayub c Haider b Gleeson 12
Usman Khan not out 25
Kusal Perera c Imad b Shadab 12
Glenn Maxwell lbw b Imad 1
Irfan Khan c Green b Shadab 9
Hassan Khan c&b Shadab 0
Asif Mehmood c Shadab b Salman 12
Hunain Shah b Imad 1
Mohammad Ali lbw b Imad 0
EXTRAS (W-3) 3
TOTAL (all out, 15.5 overs) 80
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Maaz), 2-11 (Labuschagne), 3-24 (Saim), 4-39 (Perera), 5-42 (Maxwell), 6-57 (Irfan), 7-57 (Hassan), 8-76 (Asif), 9-79 (Hunain)
BOWLING: Gleeson 3-0-9-3, Salman 3-0-19-1, Faheem 1-0-9-0, Green 2-0-9-0, Shadab 3-0-13-3 (2w), Imad 3.5-0-21-3 (1w)
ISLAMABAD UNITED:
Devon Conway c Maaz b Ali 0
Sameer Minhas not out 27
Mohsin Riaz c Labuschagne b Ali 42
Shadab Khan not out 4
EXTRAS (LB-5, NB-1, W-4) 10
TOTAL (for two wickets, 6.4 overs) 83
DID NOT BAT: Mark Chapman, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson, Salman Mirza
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Conway), 2-79 (Mohsin)
BOWLING: Ali 3.4-0-29-2 (2w, 1nb), Hunain 2-0-26-0 (1w), Hassan 1-0-23-0 (1w)
RESULT: Islamabad United won by eight wickets.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Richard Gleeson
POINTS TABLE
(Tabulated under matches, won, lost, no result, points, run-rate)
Peshawar Zalmi 9 8 0 1 17 2.645
Multan Sultans 9 6 3 0 12 0.450
Islamabad United 9 5 3 1 11 1.766
Lahore Qalandars 9 4 5 0 8 -0.558
Hyderabad Kingsmen 9 4 5 0 8 -1.037
Karachi Kings 9 4 5 0 8 -1.063
Quetta Gladiators 9 3 6 0 6 -0.355
Rawalpindiz 9 1 8 0 2 -1.330
Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026
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