Hyderabad Kingsmen will take on Islamabad United in Match 36 of the Pakistan Super League 2026 at the National Stadium on Friday, April 24. Led by Marnus Labuschagne, Hyderabad have made a strong comeback in the tournament, winning their last four matches after losing the first four. They are currently placed fourth on the points table but will be keen to win their remaining games, especially with Lahore Qalandars level on points with them.
Meanwhile, Shadab Khan’s Islamabad United sit third on the table, with four wins, three losses, and one no result. However, they head into this match after a six-wicket defeat to the Rawalpindiz in their previous outing.
National Stadium, Karachi: Pitch Report
There have been a mix of high-scoring and bowler-friendly matches at the National Stadium, making it interesting to see how the pitch behaves on Friday. The captain winning the toss is likely to bowl first to better assess the conditions. The new ball could offer some swing early on, giving the seamers a chance to make an immediate impact.
HYK vs ISL: Head-to-Head
The head-to-head record currently stands at 1-0 in favour of Hyderabad Kingsmen.
Qualification Scenario
Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans have already qualified while Rawalpindiz have been eliminated. With two spots for the playoffs up for the grabs, the race has intensified with Islamabad United and Hyderabad Kingsmen sitting at third and fourth respectively. Both the sides have two matches left. The winner of the encounter between the two will most likely make it through. Islamabad have 9 points from 8 matches and if they win both, they will have 13 points under the belt. If IU win against Hyderabad, they will have to beat Rawalpindiz in the final league match and will still have 10 points in the bag. Their qualification will then depend on the results of the other matches and NRR.
If Hyderabad beat Islamabad and go on to win against Rawalpindiz, they will have 12 points. Both the sides will look to win today to get to crucial points. if Hyderabad clinch a win, they will move to 10 points and third spot.
HYK vs ISL: Predicted Playing XIs
Hyderabad Kingsmen
Maaz Sadaqat, Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (WK), Marnus Labuschagne (C), Glenn Maxwell, Kusal Perera, Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Akif Javed, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali.
Islamabad United
Devon Conway (WK), Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Faiq, Haider Ali, Mark Chapman, Shadab Khan (C), Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Chris Green, Richard Gleeson, Mohammad Hasnain.
Today’s Match Prediction: Hyderabad Kingsmen to win the match
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