LAHORE: High-flying Hyderabad Kingsmen will take on seasoned Islamabad United in Eliminator 2 of the HBL Pakistan Super League at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday night, with a place in the final at stake.

Led by Labuschagne, Hyderabad enter the contest brimming with confidence after winning six of their last seven matches — a remarkable turnaround for a side that had once languished near the bottom of the table.

“It’s been a roller coaster for us. We’ve been entertaining — we’ve won big and lost big,” Labuschagne said after his team’s eight-wicket win over Multan Sultans in Eliminator 1. “But the confidence we have in our team and line-up, and the consistency we’ve shown in the last six games — winning five out of six — is really impressive. It’s a credit to the group.”

Hyderabad’s emphatic victory over the Sultans has further strengthened their momentum, and they now pose a serious challenge to United, who have been inconsistent of late, winning three and losing two of their last five matches.

Islamabad, however, boast vast experience under captain Shadab Khan, having won three PSL titles (2016, 2018 and 2024). Hyderabad, meanwhile, are featuring in their maiden PSL season.

The two sides are evenly matched in head-to-head meetings this season, with one win apiece. Islamabad registered an emphatic eight-wicket victory in Karachi on April 24, dismissing Hyderabad for just 80. Earlier, Hyderabad had edged Islamabad by six wickets in another low-scoring encounter.

The winner of Friday’s match will meet Peshawar Zalmi in the final on Sunday after Zalmi beat Islamabad by 70 runs in the Qualifier.

For Hyderabad, Usman Khan has led the batting charts with 320 runs in 11 matches, including a century and two half-centuries, while Labuschagne (285 runs) and Maaz Sadaqat (249) have also been consistent.

Reflecting on Usman’s resurgence, Labuschagne said: “With Usman, the key was recognising the slump — and he did. The team picked up the slack while he wasn’t scoring, and now he’s repaying that. What impressed me most is he didn’t change his batting. He stayed confident. Now that he’s scoring, he’s reading the game much better.”

Hyderabad will also be hoping for improved returns from Saim Ayub and Glenn Maxwell, both of whom are yet to fully deliver.

“I’ve had a few conversations with him [Saim],” Labuschagne noted. “Players don’t lose ability — they lose confidence. And confidence creates performances.

“Saim is no longer a young kid — he’s experienced and has many facets to his game. My message to him was simple: trust your ability. It will click. And if he wins us a final, no one will care about earlier performances. That’s what great teams do.”

In the bowling department, pacers Mohammad Ali (15 wickets), Hunain Shah (14) and Akif Javed (10) have spearheaded Hyderabad’s attack.

“As for Hunain Shah, we didn’t fully know what we had initially,” Labuschagne said. “But his performances — especially in death bowling — have been outstanding. I love his character and personality. We’ve built a great on-field understanding. Hopefully, we’ve got two more games to go.”

Islamabad’s batting will rely on Sameer Minhas (343 runs) and Devon Conway (285), while skipper Shadab leads the bowling charts with 17 wickets. England pacer Richard Gleeson has also been effective with 11 scalps.

Speaking to reporters at the LCCA Ground, Gleeson said Islamabad would stick to their strengths despite the Qualifier defeat.

“I think Zalmi played very well, but we won’t go far away from our plans,” he said. “We’ll look to attack early, take wickets, and then let the spinners control the middle overs.

“With the bat, we’ll stay positive and stick to what has worked for us.”

He added that the presence of experienced players in both batting and bowling units meant the team required no additional motivation.

Islamabad head into the match after suffering a heavy defeat against Zalmi, while Hyderabad are riding high after their Eliminator-1 victory.

Despite the stakes, crowd turnout remains a concern. Only around 7,000 spectators attended Wednesday’s match at the Gaddafi Stadium. However, with Friday being a public holiday on account of Labour Day, a larger turnout is expected.

Islamabad held a practice session on Thursday, while Hyderabad opted to rest.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2026