KARACHI: The Gaddafi Stadium will welcome spectators for the 3 May Pakistan Super League final, but local favourites Lahore Qalandars will not be involved after Hyderabad Kingsmen caused a sensation by defeating Rawalpindiz by 108 runs to qualify for the play-offs ahead of the three-time defending champions on net run-rate.

Glenn Maxwell scored a swashbuckling 37-ball 70 not out with eight fours and three sixes, Usman Khan a blistering 26-ball 54 with four fours and four sixes, and Kusal Perera a rapid 50 off 30 balls with five fours and a six as Hyderabad Kingsmen posted 244 for six after being sent in to bat. Needing to restrict Rawalpindiz to 158 or fewer to leapfrog Lahore Qalandars on net run-rate, Kingsmen bundled the fellow debutants out for 136 in 17.1 overs with Hunain Shah returning 3.1-0-22-4 and Akif Javed 4-0-38-3.

Before the match, Hyderabad Kingsmen had a net run-rate of -1.037 against Lahore Qalandars’ -0.482. Kingsmen finished with a net run-rate of -0.361, while Karachi Kings — who also finished level on points — had a net run-rate of -0.869.

In the 40th and final league match, with a place in the 28 April Qualifier against Peshawar Zalmi at stake, Multan Sultans collected 67 runs in the last five overs to post 192 for seven. However, Mark Chapman — dropped on the third ball of his innings — scored 69 not out as Islamabad United took full advantage of sloppy Sultans fielding to reach the target for the loss of six wickets with eight balls to spare.

After 10 matches, Islamabad United finished on 13 points, while Multan Sultans ended on 12.

Islamabad United will remain in Karachi for Tuesday’s Qualifier against Peshawar Zalmi, while Multan Sultans will travel to Lahore on the same flight as Kingsmen for Wednesday’s Eliminator One.

The match of the day was between Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindiz. Kingsmen had left themselves with a mountain to climb after being bowled out for 80 in their previous match, but turned up with all guns blazing as their key players delivered when it mattered most, leaving Qalandars and their supporters shell-shocked.

Kingsmen posted 78 for two in the PowerPlay, with Maaz Sadaqat (28) adding 54 for the second wicket with Usman Khan. After Usman featured in brisk third and fourth-wicket partnerships of 29 off 10 balls with Saim Ayub (12) and 26 off 14 balls with Kusal Perera, the innings received its real boost when Perera and Maxwell added 108 off 59 balls for the sixth wicket — lifting Kingsmen from 119 for five in 9.2 overs to 227 for six in 19.1 overs.

Hassan Khan’s four-ball 16 not out with one four and two sixes provided the perfect finish as Kingsmen collected 31 runs in the last two overs.

Maxwell, who had scored just 26 runs across his previous five innings, demonstrated his destructive T20 quality by reaching his fifty off 31 balls with seven fours and a six, before smashing his next 20 runs off just seven balls.

Rawalpindiz, who had ended their eight-match losing streak in the previous fixture, were 56 for one when Hunain Shah dismissed Mohammad Rizwan (26) and Kamran Ghulam in three balls, leaving them at 57 for three at the end of the PowerPlay. The innings unravelled further in the 10th over when Akif Javed dismissed Sam Billings (23) and then Dian Forrester as the score read 102 for five in 11.4 overs.

Hunain later picked up two of the last five wickets, while Akif Javed and Maxwell took one each and Asif Afridi was run-out as Rawalpindiz were dismissed for 136 in 17.1 overs. Usman Khawaja was the top-scorer with an unbeaten 66 off 43 balls with nine fours.

Under lights, Multan Sultans, put in to bat, scored 72 in the last five overs — including 25 in the final over — to post 192 for seven. The key to the score was an unfinished 56-run eighth-wicket partnership off 21 balls between Mohammad Wasim and Arafat Minhas. Arafat was run-out off the last ball after scoring a 19-ball 31 with one four and three sixes, while Wasim’s nine-ball 26 not out included two fours and two sixes.

Shan Masood was the innings’ top-scorer with 44 off 33 balls with three fours and two sixes, while openers Sahibzada Farhan and Steve Smith scored 30 apiece in a 60-run opening stand off 36 balls.

In reply, Chapman led United’s run-chase with an unbeaten 69 off 33 balls with four fours and six sixes as the three-time champions reached their target in 18.4 overs for the loss of six wickets. Chapman reached his fifty off 26 balls with two fours and five sixes before adding 63 for the fourth wicket off 42 balls with captain Shadab Khan, who scored 36 off 28 balls with five fours.

Chapman also added 19 off six balls for the fifth wicket with Haider Ali, 17 off 12 for the sixth with Faheem Ashraf and an unbroken 22 off seven for the seventh with Chris Green.

Scores in brief:

Match 39 – Hyderabad Kingsmen beat Rawalpindiz by 108 runs, Karachi

HYDERABAD KINGSMEN 244-6, 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 70 not out, Usman Khan 54, Kusal Perera 50 not out, Maaz Sadaqat 28, Hassan Khan 16 not out, Saim Ayub 12; Saad Masood 2-34)

RAWALPINDIZ 136 all-out, 17.1 overs (Usman Khawaja 66 not out, Mohammad Rizwan 26, Sam Billings 23; Hunain Shah 4-22, Akif Javed 3-38)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Hunain Shah (Hyderabad Kingsmen)

Match 40 – Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans by four wickets, Karachi

MULTAN SULTANS 192-7, 20 overs (Shan Masood 44, Arafat Minhas 31, Sahibzada Farhan 30, Steve Smith 30, Mohammad Wasim 26 not out, Josh Philippe 11)

ISLAMABAD UNITED 193-6, 18.4 overs (Mark Chapman 69 not out, Shadab Khan 36, Mohsin Riaz 25, Devon Conway 18, Haider Ali 13, Faheem Ashraf 11; Faisal Akram 2-41)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Mark Chapman (Islamabad United)

TUESDAY’S FIXTURE (Qualifier) – Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United, Karachi

WEDNESDAY’S FIXTURE (Eliminator 1) – Multan Sultans v Hyderabad Kingsmen, Lahore