Hyderabad Kingsmen clinch maiden PSL-11 win, edge Karachi Kings in thriller

Hyderabad Kingsmen achieved their first victory in Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11, defeating Karachi Kings by four wickets in a closely contested encounter at the National Stadium Karachi on Saturday.

The 20th match of the PSL 11 clash is dubbed as the “Sindh Derby” held between both Sindh province franchises.

Chasing a target of 189, Hyderabad Kingsmen reached the total on the final ball, finishing at 189 for 6 in a tense run chase.

Hasan Khan and Irfan Khan held their nerve under pressure, remaining unbeaten on 33 and 29 respectively to guide their side over the line.

Earlier in their innings, Maaz Sadaqat scored 37, while Usman Khan added 27.

Captain Marnus Labuschagne contributed 26, with Kusal Perera making 17.

Saim Ayub scored 6, while Glenn Maxwell was dismissed for 2.

Karachi Kings’ bowling effort was led by Abbas Afridi, who took two wickets.

Adam Zampa, Salman Ali Agha, Khushdil Shah, and Hasan Ali claimed one wicket each but were unable to prevent Hyderabad’s late surge.

After being asked to bat first, Karachi Kings posted a challenging total of 188 for 8 in their 20 overs.  

Captain Moeen Ali smashed 44 runs off just 16 deliveries, including five sixes and a boundary, to lift Karachi’s total in the death overs.

Opener Saad Baig anchored the innings with a fluent 53, while Azam Khan contributed 26, Mohammad Wasim Jr added 25, and Salman Ali Agha scored 24 runs.

Saad Baig retired after scoring 53 off 37 balls, becoming the first batter in PSL history to be dismissed in this manner.

For Hyderabad, Hunain Shah led the bowling attack with three wickets, while Mohammad Ali took two.

Marnus Labuschagne also chipped in with a wicket.

Earlier, Hyderabad Kingsmen won the toss and decided to field first against Karachi Kings.

The contest marks the inaugural clash between the two sides, with organisers branding it a regional showdown celebrating cricket in Sindh.

The winner will be awarded a special “Sindh Crown” souvenir featuring traditional cultural items, including the Sindhi cap and Ajrak.

Hyderabad Kingsmen enter the match under pressure, still searching for their first victory after four games in the tournament.

In contrast, Karachi Kings have enjoyed a strong campaign, winning three of their four matches so far.

Hyderabad are being led by Marnus Labuschagne, while Karachi Kings are captained by David Warner.

In a major boost for Hyderabad, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has joined the squad ahead of the fixture.

Maxwell arrived in Pakistan earlier that day from Australia.

Playing XIs

Karachi Kings XI: Reeza Hendricks, Muhammad Waseem, Salman Ali Agha, Saad Baig, Moeen Ali (capt), Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan (wk), Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa, Ihsanullah
 
Hyderabad Kingsmen XI: Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Usman Khan (wk), Kusal Perera, Glenn Maxwell, Irfan Khan Niazi, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali

Head-to-head
The upcoming fixture marks the first-ever meeting between the 2020 champions and Kingsmen as the latter are making their maiden appearance in the PSL.

Form Guide
The two teams enter the fixture with contrasting momenta as the Kings have just one defeat in four matches in the ongoing PSL 11, while the Kingsmen are on a four-match losing streak.

Karachi Kings made a flamboyant start to their campaign by defeating Quetta Gladiators, arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars and RawalPindiz, respectively, until eventually suffering a record 159-run defeat at the hands of current leaders Peshawar Zalmi.

Hyderabad Kingsmen, on the other hand, lost each of their four matches against Qalandars, Gladiators, Sultans and Zalmi, respectively, and only hold the seventh spot due to a relatively superior net run rate than that of fellow debutants Pindiz.

Karachi Kings: L, W, W, W, L (most recent first)

Hyderabad Kingsmen: L, L, L, L