Hyderabad Kingsmen beat Rawalpindiz by five wickets for third straight PSL win

KARACHI: Hyderabad Kingsmen registered their third consecutive win in PSL 2026 after defeating Rawalpindiz by five wickets on Thursday, completing the chase with 21 balls remaining after restricting their opponents to 121.

The result moved Kingsmen up two places to fourth in the eight-team table and strengthened their chances of reaching the playoffs. Rawalpindiz, meanwhile, stayed at the bottom after a sixth successive defeat and continued to carry a negative net run rate of 1.821.

On a pitch that looked fresh but played slowly, Kingsmen’s bowlers laid the foundation for the victory through disciplined bowling and effective changes of pace. Rawalpindiz never managed to build momentum and, after early setbacks, finished with a total that proved inadequate.

Kingsmen’s reply was not entirely smooth. They slipped to 69 for five, allowing Rawalpindiz to briefly sense an opening. However, Kusal Perera and Irfan Khan then put together an unbeaten 54-run partnership to take the side home without further damage.

Perera remained unbeaten on 32 from 24 balls, while Irfan made 34 not out off 29 deliveries. Their stand came after Marnus Labuschagne, who scored 32 off 21 balls, was dismissed, and Glenn Maxwell fell for a golden duck within the space of three deliveries. Even with those setbacks, the asking rate remained manageable, with Kingsmen needing 53 from 64 balls when Irfan came to the crease.

The pair initially focused on rotating the strike, using gaps in the field as the surface continued to grip. After settling in, both batters increased the tempo and found boundaries late in the innings to close out the chase.

Rawalpindiz make early inroads but fail to sustain pressure

Rawalpindiz had started strongly with the ball. Left-arm spinner Asif Afridi kept things tight in the powerplay, giving away only 10 runs in three overs and dismissing Maaz Sadaqat and Saim Ayub, with the latter wicket coming in a wicket maiden.

Mohammad Amir added to the pressure by removing Usman Khan at midwicket before the end of the powerplay, briefly lifting home hopes of an upset. Kingsmen’s innings then suffered another blow when Labuschagne was trapped lbw by Saad Masood off the final ball of the ninth over. Maxwell departed on the next delivery as Ben Sears bowled him.

Kingsmen bowlers dominate first innings

Earlier, Rawalpindiz’s innings struggled to gain traction against sustained pressure. Mohammad Rizwan struck a couple of early boundaries off Mohammad Ali, but scoring became increasingly difficult as wickets continued to fall.

The introduction of spin in the second over slowed the scoring rate further, with Ayub and Hassan Khan keeping things under control through the middle overs. Rawalpindiz managed only 24 runs in the powerplay, the lowest total in that phase this season.

The middle order then faltered further. Usman Khawaja was bowled by Glenn Maxwell, while Mohammad Ali dismissed Rizwan with a ball that came back sharply. Daryl Mitchell was out for a duck to Hunain Shah.

Kingsmen’s attack maintained pressure throughout and did not allow Rawalpindiz’s run rate to rise above five an over until the closing stages. Hunain Shah and Mohammad Ali were the leading wicket-takers with three wickets each, while Ayub and Hassan Khan supported them with economical spells.

Rawalpindiz reached 50 in 11.1 overs, the slowest scoring rate of the season, before being bowled out for 121.

The win also highlighted Kingsmen’s growing comfort in Karachi conditions, where they have now produced back-to-back disciplined bowling performances. Rawalpindiz, in contrast, remain without a win in a difficult campaign.