Peshawar Zalmi Spin Duo Bowls Out Hyderabad Kingsmen for 145

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi’s spin duo of Iftikhar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem dismantled the Hyderabad Kingsmen. This restricts the debutant franchise to a meager 145 all out in 18.2 overs.

Opting to bowl first at the National Stadium, Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam unleashed Iftikhar Ahmed early, a move that yielded immediate and historic results. Iftikhar tore through the Kingsmen’s top order during the mandatory powerplay. He accounts for four of the first five wickets to fall, including the wicket of Saim Ayub. 

By the time the powerplay concluded, the Kingsmen were left gasping at 47/4. Iftikhar Ahmed completely neutralized their aggressive intent with his career-best figures of 4/21. 

A gritty recovery followed, led by Kusal Perera (58 off 35) and captain Marnus Labuschagne (27 off 27). The pair stabilized the innings with a 82-run partnership in just 55 balls, taking the score to 116/4 by the 14th over. 

Perera, in particular, showed flashes of brilliance. He reached his half-century with five boundaries and two sixes. 

However, the momentum shifted back to Zalmi as soon as the partnership was broken. Sufiyan Muqeem took over from where Iftikhar left off. He bamboozled the middle and lower order with his left-arm unorthodox spin. Muqeem matched Iftikhar’s feat by claiming 4/32. It is the first match in the PSL 2026 where two bowlers from the same team recorded four-wicket hauls in a single innings. 

The Kingsmen were eventually bundled out for 145 in 18.2 overs. The worst thing is that they lost their final five wickets for just 29 runs. Despite the brief recovery, the Kingsmen’s inability to handle the "Iftimania" in the opening overs has left them defending a low total at this surface. In fact, it is a must-win match for Hyderabad Kingsmen to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

The target of 146 sets the stage for Babar Azam and Peshawar Zalmi to potentially secure their second win of the season and further cement their place in the top four of the PSL 2026 points table.