Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan admitted Hyderabad Kingsmen was the deserving finalists after his side suffered a narrow two-run defeat in Eliminator 2 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) at Gaddafi Stadium.
“Yes, sad we didn’t make it to the final, but the team which played better deserves to be in the final,” Shadab said at the post-match presentation.
Batting first, Hyderabad Kingsmen posted 186-5 in their 20 overs after recovering from 85-4 in 11.2 overs. The turnaround came through a 101-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Usman Khan and Kusal Perera.
Usman led the effort with an unbeaten 61 off 30 deliveries, including 10 boundaries.
In response, Islamabad United managed 184-7 in their 20 overs despite a collective batting effort, falling just short of the target.
Shadab Khan pointed to concerns in the death overs, stating that his side conceded around 10 to 15 extra runs, which proved costly. “Death bowling was a concern,” he said.
Islamabad United was in a strong position late in the chase, needing six runs in the final over. However, the dismissal of set batter Faheem Ashraf on the fourth delivery shifted momentum, and they ultimately lost by two runs.
Shadab Khan also highlighted the impact of losing wickets at key moments. “We lost wickets at crucial times. I think I should have batted a bit better and taken the momentum. Whenever we got some momentum, we lost a wicket,” he said.
He further added that the ending came down to a “mind game,” where better decision-making could have made the difference.
Despite the loss, Shadab described it as a good tournament overall for Islamabad United. He praised emerging opener Sameer Minhas, who scored 349 runs in 11 innings at an average of 38.77, including three half-centuries, calling him an “exceptional talent.”
He also credited United’s spin trio, himself, Imad Wasim, and Chris Green, for performing well throughout the tournament.
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