LAHORE: Half-centuries by Usman Khan and Maaz Sadaqat powered Hyderabad Kingsmen into the second Eliminator of the HBL Pakistan Super League as they cruised past Multan Sultans at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday night, capping a collectively disciplined bowling performance that had earlier restricted their opponents to a modest total.

The comprehensive victory marked a continuation of Hyderabad’s remarkable turnaround this season. After losing their first four matches, the Kingsmen stormed into the playoffs by winning five of their last six league fixtures — a surge that has now carried them into Eliminator 2, where they will face Islamabad United on Friday.

For Multan Sultans, the defeat brought an abrupt end to a campaign that had promised much. They had finished second on the points table with six wins in the league stage but faltered when it mattered most.

Chasing 160, Hyderabad suffered an early setback when captain Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed for 11, edging a cut to Sahibzada Farhan off Mohammad Ismail. At 18-1, the fixture briefly hinted at a contest, but what followed was a decisive shift orchestrated by Usman and Maaz.

The pair stitched together a blistering 102-run partnership off just 53 balls, effectively taking the game away from the Sultans.

Maaz set the tone early, launching pacer Imran Randhawa over covers for four and then lifting Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle over midwicket for a six that underlined his intent. He was particularly severe on anything short, rocking back to dispatch spinner Faisal Akram to the boundary and confidently stepping down the track to clear the ropes.

At the other end, Usman complemented him with equal authority. He unfurled a series of crisp strokes, including a powerful pull off Ismail and a flowing drive through covers off Siddle.

His assault on Mohammad Nawaz’s left-arm spin proved decisive — a 19-run over featuring two boundaries and a towering six straight down the ground brought up his half-century and reduced the chase to a formality.

Usman’s innings of 64 off 35 balls ended when he miscued a slog-sweep off Steven Smith to long-on, but by then the required rate had dipped below five an over.

Maaz, who reached his fifty soon after, ensured there were no late hiccups. He finished unbeaten on 64, sealing the victory alongside Saim Ayub, who played a composed supporting role with 15 not out as Hyderabad completed the chase in just over 15 overs.

Earlier, Sultans had endured a stuttering innings after being put into bat. Despite a promising start from Sahibzada, who struck two early boundaries, Hyderabad’s bowlers quickly seized control. Pacer Mohammad Ali removed Steven Smith with a well-directed short-of-length delivery, before his fast-bowling partner Akif Javed dismissed Sahibzada with a leading edge.

The collapse gathered pace as Hunain Shah trapped Josh Philippe lbw, and Saim accounted for Sultans captain Ashton Turner. When Glenn Maxwell had Arafat Minhas adjudged leg-before, Sultans were reeling at 52-5 inside eight overs.

FIGHTING SHAN

Amid the wreckage, Shan Masood stood firm. Initially cautious, he began to rebuild the innings with measured strokeplay. He broke the shackles with a deft cut off Maxwell and gradually shifted gears, pulling Saim to the fine-leg boundary and driving Hunain majestically down the ground for six.

Shan’s innings gained further momentum in the latter stages. He launched Maxwell for back-to-back sixes over cover, displaying exquisite timing, and later carved Ali through point before following it up with a classical cover drive. His ability to farm the strike and find boundaries under pressure was crucial in lifting Sultans from a precarious position.

Wickets, however, continued to fall at the other end. Nawaz briefly threatened with a couple of boundaries bef­ore perishing, while Imran and Siddle fell trying to accelerate. Even as the tail struggled, Shan carried on, reaching a fighting half-century and pushing the total towards respectability.

His unbeaten 69 off 46 balls — featuring four fours and four sixes — was the backbone of Sultans’ 159-9. He added valuable runs in the death overs, including a towering six off Hassan Khan in the final over, but the lack of support from the rest of the batting line-up proved costly.

Hyderabad’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Ali, Akif and Hunain claiming two wickets each, while Saim and Maxwell chipped in with one apiece. Their collective effort ensured that Sultans never truly recovered from the early setbacks.

In the end, Shan’s resistance was not enough to keep Multan alive in the tournament. Hyderabad, on the other hand, marched on — their dream run gaining further momentum as they moved one step closer to an unlikely final appearance.

Scoreboard

MULTAN SULTANS:

Sahibzada Farhan c Saim b Akif 15

Steven Smith c Maaz b Ali 13

Josh Philippe lbw b Hunain 6

Shan Masood not out 69

Ashton Turner c Hassan b Saim 9

Arafat Minhas lbw b Maxwell 1

Mohammad Nawaz c Ali b Akif 18

Mohammad Imran b Ali 2

Peter Siddle b Hunain 9

Faisal Akram run out 4

Muhammad Ismail not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-1, W-9) 12

TOTAL (for nine wickets, 20 overs) 159

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-28 (Smith), 2-30 (Sahibzada), 3-36 (Philippe), 4-51 (Turner), 5-52 (Arafat), 6-85 (Nawaz), 7-93 (Imran), 8-114 (Siddle), 9-148 (Faisal)

BOWLING: Ali 4-0-34-2 (3w), Akif 4-0-30-2 (2w), Hunain 4-0-31-2 (4w), Saim 4-0-23-1, Maxwell 3-0-28-1, Hassan 1-0-11-0 (1nb)

HYDERABAD KINGSMEN:

Maaz Sadaqat not out 64

Marnus Labuschagne c Sahibzada b Ismail 11

Usman Khan c Nawaz b Smith 64

Saim Ayub not out 15

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, W-3) 8

TOTAL (for two wickets, 15.2 overs) 162

DID NOT BAT: Kusal Perera, Irfan Khan, Glenn Maxwell, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-18 (Labuschagne), 2-120 (Usman)

BOWLING: Imran 2-0-20-0 (1w), Ismail 2-0-22-1 (1w), Siddle 3-0-31-0 (1w), Faisal 3.2-0-20-0, Arafat 2-0-21-0, Nawaz 1-0-19-0, Smith 1-0-14-1, Turner 1-0-10-0

RESULT: Hyderabad Kingsmen won by eight wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Maaz Sadaqat

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2026