Hyderabad Kingsmen 186 for 5 (Usman 61*, Imad 2-16) beat Islamabad United 184 for 7 (Chapman 43, Hunain 2-37, M Ali 2-44) by two runs

With Islamabad United needing six runs in the final over to make the final, Hunain Shah conceded just three runs in a sensational 20th over to take Hyderabad Kingsmen into the PSL 2026 final. The last chapter of their fairytale run will come on Sunday, when the PSL debutants take on Peshawar Zalmi in the final.

The odds were heavily stacked against Kingsmen with six balls to go. Chris Green and Faheem Ashraf had just plundered Mohammad Ali for 22 runs in the 19th, but Hunain began the over with a dot, bowled back of a length outside off, and nailed five consecutive yorkers. The third of those yorkers dismissed Faheem, holing out to long off.

No total was going to be safe on Friday night at the Gaddafi Stadium with a belter of a pitch on offer and dew present. United had 187 to chase - nothing too audacious - and sensational cameos of Mark Chapman (43 off 26), Haider Ali (31 off 16), and Green (21 not out off nine) brought them back after an early stutter.

That early jolt in the chase came from a hostile spell of fast bowling from the Kingsmen and dents made by spinners Saim Ayub and Hassan Khan. The trio, though, ensured United could recover from 68 for 4 in ten overs, but in the end fell agonisingly short.

Kingsmen needed a recovery of their own to post a total that was just enough on the night. They were 85 for 4 in 11.4 overs, and their innings was resurrected because of a sparkling stand of 101 off 50 balls between Usman Khan and Kusal Perera. United enjoy batting second and Kingsmen needed to give enough to their bowlers at a venue where the last five matches had been won by chasing sides.

Usman, who made an unbeaten 61 off 30, had luck going his way again - dropped twice in the innings. He went on the offensive with Perera, who made 37 off 21, after Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell fell in the same Imad Wasim over. Labuschagne had earlier steadied the ship with Saim, who made the highest score of his season with 38 off 27, after Maaz Sadaqat fell on duck to Richard Gleeson in the first over.

Kingsmen have now won seven of their last eight matches. It is an epic turnaround for a team that lost their first four matches, and now find themselves just one step away from the ultimate prize.