HK vs PZ: Iftikhar Ahmed guides Peshawar Zalmi to victory in final-ball thriller

Iftikhar Ahmed has saved Peshawar Zalmi from a horrible choke. With 8 needed off 3, he smashes a six down the ground. His 15-run cameo, from 10 balls, has handed Hyderabad Kingsmen their 4th consecutive loss. Mind you, he claimed a 4-wicket haul in the first innings.

Who would've thought when Peshawar needed 30 off 30 and had 6 wickets in hand, the final equation would be to chase 14 from the last over? But here we are.

Another twist in the tale? Abdul Samad walks back after edging an off-pace delivery to the keeper. From 104/2 to 125/6. Peshawar Zalmi are losing the plot.

Are we in for a shock? Now, Farhan gets trapped in front. A length ball from Mohammad Ali, which he looks to guide towards fine leg but misses entirely. 21 off 21 to win.

Hyderabad might be back in the game. A successful review for LBW. Babar tried to paddle sweep Hassan Khan, missed the ball, and was caught in front.

Just 30 off 30 needed. But can Hyderabad choke Peshawar?

A slight stumble for Peshawar as they lose Bracewell. He was upping the aggression, but Ayub sent him back. Caught at long-off.

Farhan Yousaf joins Babar in the middle.

Since the required run rate was 7.3 to begin with, Peshawar doesn't have to worry about slowing down. A couple of boundaries and they'll be back on track. What's important is to not lose a wicket, which they are doing.

King Babar 👑 Azam and Peshawar Zalmi in Full Control 😍🏏
The way Babar exposes his stumps, I have never seen before. I think he is working on his game against spinners. 👏🏻#PSL #HKvsPZ #PZvsHK pic.twitter.com/A2gMcpZABi

— Aqsa Farooq (@Aqsa_Farook) April 8, 2026

Knowing the chase is well within control, Babar is anchoring. He'll let the other batters take the aggressive route and ensure they don't lose wickets in a bunch.

Mendis holes at deep backward square leg. A full ball in the slot, but Mendis doesn't quite middle it. Mohammad Ali takes an easy catch. Does Hyderabad have a chance at coming back?

Kusal Mendis joined the party in the last 2 overs of the powerplay, scoring 18 runs in 11 balls. Peshawar is in a commanding position.

Kusal Mendis 🇱🇰 vs Theekshana 🇱🇰 in PSL pic.twitter.com/hyZlSaCm5d

— Qamar (@Qamar5618) April 8, 2026

After a slow third over, Babar Azam took Maaz Sadaqat on in the fourth over. 11 came off it, with Babar hitting 2 fours. Peshawar are ahead of the required run rate as of now.

The most elegant batter in the world rn, KING BABAR AZAM❤️👑 #PSL2026 #BabarAzam pic.twitter.com/UdIFVhSKsx

— Mehak (@MehakBA56) April 8, 2026

Haris' swashbuckling play doesn't last long for Peshawar. He departs for 11 off 6 as Maheesh Theeshaka opens Hyderabad Kingsmen's account in the 146-run chase.

Now, that's some way to start a chase. Mohammad Haris smashes the first ball of the second innings to a chase. Mohammad Ali stands there in disbelief.

Batters hitting first ball of a PSL innings for a six:

Sharjeel Khan (2020)
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (2022)
Mohammad Rizwan (2024)
Mitchell Owen (2025)
Mohammad Haris (2026)*
pic.twitter.com/nzx6HZlK7x

— Abdul Rehman Yaseen (@Aryaseen5911) April 8, 2026

A poor display from Hyderabad Kingsmen. They score just 145 and leave 10 balls. The least they could've done was to try and bat out. Even 1 run can be valuable. 

Should be a walk in the park for Peshawar Zalmi.

Hunain Shah has been run out. Direct hit from midwicket from Farhan Yousuf, and Hyderabad go 9 down. Can they get 150.

Sufiyan Muqeem has changed the game in one over. First, he picks Niazi's wicket and then ends his spell by claiming Perera and Maheesh Theekshana on his final 2 deliveries. A 4-fer for the left-arm wrist-spinner.

Hyderabad are now in serious trouble as Perera's fine 58-run knock comes to an end. But, they might not even score 150 now.

This could very well be a match-winning knock for Hyderabad. The southpaw from Sri Lanka brings up his half-century in just 31 balls. A fine innings. But, he'll look to end it on an even higher note. He could be the difference between Hyderabad scoring 160 or 180. 

How an earth Hyderabad kingsmen Choose Marnus Labuschagne For T20 captaincy And Even as a player today he score 27 Runs On 27 balls it's Disrespecting The PSL also 😕😠

— Aqib yousafzai (@aqibyousafzai29) April 8, 2026

Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne was going nowhere with that innings. He didn't kick on after getting his team out of trouble. He scores 27 off 27.

Ifran Khan Niazi joins Perara in the middle.

What a knock from Perera. Hyderabad captain Marnus Labuschagne has scored just 24 (24). Meanwhile, Perara is 46 (27).

Kusal Perera's quickfire 31 off 16, has helped Hyderabad stay in the game despite losing 4 wickets. Nahid Rana has been expensive, 22 off 2 overs. Mind you, they were 34/4 after 5 overs. Can Hyderabad continue in this direction?

Babar Azam has decided to bowl out Iftikhar Ahmed, his best bowler of the day. He bowls 4 overs on the trot, and took 4 wickets. Mind you, no other Peshawar Zalmi bowler has taken a wicket yet. His figures read 4-0-21-4.

- Maaz Sadaqat. ✅️
- Saim Ayub. ✅️
- Sharjeel Khan. ✅️
- Usman Khan. ✅️

MAGICAL SPELL BY IFTIKHAR AHMED. 🔥pic.twitter.com/eU3lts1CzV

— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) April 8, 2026

RawalPindiz have signed New Zealand fast bowler Ben Sears for the remainder of the PSL 2026 season. Sears will join the side tomorrow. 

Iftikhar has a wicket. Oh wait, as we type this, Iktikhar Ahmed has got the wicket of Usman Khan. Excellent bowling by Peshawar, and Hyderabad batting is crumbling. And it is a three wicket over, and this time Shajeel is bowled.

There you go. A wicket comes for Iftikhar, and he gets the wicket of Maaz Sadqat. The batter goes for a shot down the wicket, and Aamer Jamal takes a running catch.

Left arm pacer Islam starts from the other end. Sadaqat is getting a go ahead, and ends the over with a boundary.

Bracewell starts the proceedings for Peshawar. Maaz Sadaqat starts with a massive boundary. But then he follows up with a couple of good deliveries. And as we say this, another boundary is hit.

Babar had come up with a decent innings in his only match so far -- where he had scored 39 with Pindiz. That too was 10 days ago. So let's see what he manages this time around.

The Karachi surface should be a good one to bat on, where dew might come into place. 180-190 should be a good place to be in.

Hyderabad Kingsmen (Playing XI): Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne(c), Usman Khan(w), Kusal Perera, Irfan Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Hassan Khan, Maheesh Theekshana, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali

Hyderabad Kingsmen (Playing XI): Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne(c), Usman Khan(w), Kusal Perera, Irfan Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Hassan Khan, Maheesh Theekshana, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali

Labuschagne says: Lot of positive things to take from our games but also a lot of things to keep working on. Few changes. Meredith is out. Kusal Perera in. Showed what the batting order can do in the last game when we scored 230.

Peshwar Zalmi have won the toss and opted to bowl first. Babar Azam says, "Will bowl first because of dew factor. Also the first match in Karachi, want to have a look. Our local players, combination of youngsters and experienced is good. Have utilized our time well. Two changes - Nahid Rana and Iftikhar playing."

We are almost there for the toss and it could be an easy decision of bat first. But let us see what happens here.

Hyderabad Kingsmen: Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (c), Usman Khan (wk), Sharjeel Khan, Syed Ali, Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Maheesh Theekshana, Riley Meredith, Mohammad Ali.

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis (wk), Aaron Hardie, Farhan Yousaf, Michael Bracewell, Abdul Samad, Aamer Jamal, Sufiyan Muqeem, Shoriful Islam, Ali Raza.

The National Stadium in Karachi also offers batting-friendly surfaces, consistent pace, and bounce. Moreover, with slight dew coming in at the later hours, it could be key for the teams chasing the total.

According to AccuWeather, clear skies are expected during the match hours in Karachi. The temperature is expected to range between 26 and 28°C with minimal chances of rain.

Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (c), Usman Khan (wk), Sharjeel Khan, Syed Saad Ali, Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Maheesh Theekshana, Riley Meredith, Mohammad Ali, Hammad Azam, Kusal Perera, Akif Javed, Shayan Jahangir, Rizwan Mehmood, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Hunain Shah, Asif Mehmood, Glenn Maxwell

Mohammad Haris, Babar Azam (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Aaron Hardie, Michael Bracewell, Abdul Samad, Aamer Jamal, Farhan Yousaf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Shoriful Islam, Ali Raza, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khalid Usman, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shahnawaz Dahani, Khurram Shahzad, Brian Bennett, Nahid Rana, Mirza Tahir Baig, Abdul Subhan, Kashif Ali