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Marnus Labuschagne guided Hyderabad Kingsmen into the PSL final with a last-ball win sealed by Hunain Shah.
Marnus Labuschagne produced an emotional on-field reaction after guiding Hyderabad Kingsmen into the Pakistan Super League final with a last-ball win over Islamabad United in Lahore.
The match came down to the final delivery at Gaddafi Stadium, with Chris Green needing a boundary to secure victory for Islamabad. Kingsmen bowler Hunain Shah, who had conceded heavily earlier, executed a leg-stump yorker as planned with Labuschagne, restricting Green to a leg bye and sealing the result.
Hyderabad's players celebrated immediately, with Labuschagne visibly animated as Shah, the younger brother of Pakistan Test bowler Naseem Shah, was carried from the field by teammates after delivering the decisive over.
The Kingsmen will now face Peshawar Zalmi in Sunday's final, with their opponents finishing the regular season strongly. Hyderabad, however, arrive with momentum after a significant turnaround, winning seven of their last eight matches following four straight losses at the start of the campaign.
Labuschagne contributed 39 from 32 balls in the semi-final, while Usman Khan's unbeaten 61 from 30 deliveries and Kusal Perera's 37 from 21 lifted the Kingsmen to 5-186 after a steady start.
Islamabad's chase remained competitive through contributions from Devon Conway and Mark Chapman, before Green's late acceleration, including a 22-run over, brought the match down to the final ball.
Labuschagne described the result as difficult to put into words, highlighting the team's unpredictable performances and ability to recover in pressure moments. He noted the simplicity of the final-over plan, with a straight field and a focus on executing yorkers, as key to closing out the match.