Hyderabad Kingsmen secured a six-wicket victory against Islamabad United on the back of skipper Marnus Labuschagne’s well-crafted unbeaten 61 off 53 balls in their chase of a 154-run target in the 21st match of HBL PSL 2026 at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Sunday.

The result marked Kingsmen’s second successive victory, following their triumph over 2020 champions Karachi Kings, after having lost their opening four matches of the tournament.

Chasing 154 on a slow surface, Labuschagne anchored the innings brilliantly, striking six boundaries, while Glenn Maxwell’s unbeaten 21 off nine balls also proved crucial in helping Hyderabad get over the line in 18.1 overs.

He found solid support from Maaz Sadaqat and Saim Ayub, who chipped in with brisk knocks of 30 and 35, respectively, before Maxwell applied the finishing touches with a quick cameo and formed a key late partnership..

First innings

For Islamabad United, stand-in captain Chris Green and Faheem Ashraf picked up two wickets apiece.

After electing to field first, the Kingsmen restricted the three-time champions to 153 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs.

United began on a steady note, with openers Sameer Minhas and Devon Conway adding 56 runs before Mohammad Ali dismissed Minhas on the final ball of the powerplay.

Conway then stitched a brief 31-run stand with Mohammad Faiq, but both batters were run out in the 10th over, leaving United at 89 for 3. Conway top-scored with 45 off 31 deliveries, hitting seven fours.

The innings lost momentum soon after, as Haider Ali and Faheem Ashraf departed cheaply, reducing United to 113 for 5 in 15.3 overs.

Amid the collapse, Mark Chapman stood firm and played a fighting knock of 42 off 30 deliveries, laced with three fours and two sixes, before being dismissed in the final over by Asif Mehmood.

Mehmood then dominated the closing stages, claiming three more wickets in the last over, including Imad Wasim, Mehran Mumtaz, and Chris Green, to prevent United from posting a bigger total.

For Hyderabad, Asif was the standout bowler with figures of 4 for 18 in four overs, while Mohammad Ali picked up two wickets and Glenn Maxwell chipped in with one.