Hunain Shah turned the spotlight on himself at the right moment, defending five runs in the final over to steer Hyderabad Kingsmen into the championship match of the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Friday. Hyderabad set a target of 187, and Islamabad United looked like they had the momentum to cross the line, with New Zealand batter Mark Chapman in fine form. Yet the contest tilted dramatically in the 17th over when Hunain dismissed Chapman, taking a catch for 43 off 26 balls after the New Zealander had appeared to be cruising.
From that point, Islamabad’s path to victory narrowed to a sliver, and the game effectively stayed alive only because the finish was pushed into the last over. With Pakistan allrounder Faheem Ashraf at the crease, Islamabad would have sensed a chance to strike, but Hunain struck first—removing Ashraf on the fourth delivery of the final over. The remaining balls offered no rescue for Chris Green or Imad Wasim, and Hyderabad held their nerve to seal the win by two runs, booking their place in the PSL final.
Speaking after the match at the post-game media briefing, Hunain explained that the bowling plan was clear from the outset. “We had to go in with one plan, bowl six yorkers,” he said. “We kept it simple. We had to save six runs. We just needed to adjust the line of the yorker, but it had to be a yorker.”
There is also a family connection to the pace and precision that Hunain showcased. He is the brother of Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah, and the duo’s performances underline how fast-bowling quality appears to run in the family. Hunain also has another brother, Ubaid Shah, who plays in the PSL for Lahore Qalandars. Hunain said he dedicated significant time over the previous few months with one objective in mind—delivering when it mattered in the PSL. In his words, the preparation paid off in dramatic fashion, especially after working specifically on yorkers.
“I’ve worked a lot over the past six months with a view to performing in this PSL. I felt whenever I got the chance, I’d perform here because I had a lot of tough times and injuries earlier. This is a result of my hard work. I spent a whole week just bowling yorkers, so that I made sure I could nail them when the team needed them.”
Hyderabad Kingsmen, making their PSL debut, produced one of the most striking turnarounds of the tournament. They began their campaign with four straight defeats under Australian coach Marnus Labuschagne, but they refused to stay down. After that rough start, the franchise roared back, building form at the right time, reaching the playoffs, and now forcing their way into the final as well.
They will face Babar Azam’s Peshawar Zalmi in the trophy showdown on Sunday, with Hunain’s yorker-heavy finish likely to be remembered as one of the key turning points on the road to the championship match.
