Hyderabad Kingsmen 244 for 6 (Maxwell 70, Usman Khan 54*, Masood 2-34) beat Rawalpindiz 136 all out (Khawaja 66*, Hunain 4-22, Javed 3-38) by 108 runs

Hyderabad Kingsmen sealed qualification to the playoffs in stunning fashion. They overhauled a massive net-run-rate disadvantage in a mauling of Rawalpindiz. Needing to defeat the already eliminated Rawalpindiz by about 86 runs to sneak into the top four, at Lahore Qalandars' expense, Kingsmen ran up a massive total of 244. Then they needed to keep Rawalpindiz to 158 or lower. A scintillating spell of bowling from Hunain Shah - who ended up with 4-22 - skittled them out for 136. The victory sees the new franchise make it into the top four, eliminating last year's champions, Qalandars, in the group stage.

Kingsmen needed to play a perfect game, especially after losing the toss and being inserted to bat. They weathered the early loss of their captain Marnus Labuschagne, with Maaz Sadaqat's whirlwind 11-ball 28 helping them to a blazing start in the Powerplay. Alongside Usman Khan - who appears to have rediscovered his form over the last week - and Kusal Perera, the first ten overs helped build a platform to post the kind of score the Kingsmen bowlers would find defensible. Even with the massive run-rate handicap.

Things were going the Kingsmen's way. Rawalpindiz were sloppy in the field, as has been the case all tournament, but each incoming Kingsmen batter just built on the work of their predecessor. When Usman failed to clear Sam Billings at long-on, it brought Glenn Maxwell in. The Australian has been in dismal form all tournament, but with his side desperate for a big contribution, he turned up his best performance in ages. Saad Masood aside, there was little respite for the Rawalpindiz bowlers, with Mohammad Amir targeted for particular punishment; the 57 runs he conceded in his four makes it his most expensive career T20 spell.

Perera slotted seamlessly into Maxwell's slipstream, keeping both ends ticking and the total piling on ever higher. The contributions continued right to the very end. Even when Maxwell was run out in the final over, Hassan Khan smashed Dian Forrester for a valuable 16 off his final three balls to push the total to 244.

That left Kingsmen needing to keep the Rawalpindiz to 158, but their bowlers got off to a quiet start. The backend of the powerplay saw Rawalpindiz batters Akif Javed and Saim Ayub bulldoze them for 31 runs in two overs. Rizwan's men ran up 55 in the first five. At that stage, the 158-run mark looked a formality, with Rawalpindiz setting their sights on the bigger, original target.

All that changed when Hunain came into the attack. Starting off in the final Powerplay over, it took him four balls to remove Mohammad Rizwan and Kamran Ghulam, cranking up the pace and maintaining his accuracy. With Labuschagne opting to save a pair of his overs for the backend, his team-mates chipped in with regular wickets. But worryingly for them, Usman Khawaja ensured Rawalpindiz were always on track to overhaul 158.

Khawaja's timing and execution was impeccable, and even as wickets fell from the other end, the Australian guaranteed runs continued to flow. But Akif Javed beat Sam Billings with a bouncer, while a sensational catch in the deep from Hassan Khan sent Forrester on his way. Saad Masood holed out to Maxwell, who held on sharply at mid-off. And now, the prospect of bowling Rawalpindiz out moved closer.

This was when Hunain came back into the attack, but bowled a poor third over, with Khawaja milking him harmlessly. Crucially, however, a loose shot from Amad Butt saw him claim a wicket off the last ball to reduce the Rawalpindiz to seven wickets down. An inspired spell from Maxwell kept the runs restricted and picked up the wicket of Amir, before rising panic among Rawalpindiz prompted a mix-up as Khawaja attempted to keep the strike. Nine wickets down and 17 overs in, Hunain came back into the attack with No. 11 Ben Sears on strike.

It took Hunain one ball. With perhaps the delivery of the spell, his inswinging yorker screamed back into the stumps past Sears' feeble defence, sending the bails, as well as the Qalandars' hopes of qualification, flying into the distance. For Kingsmen, who lost their first four games of the tournament, it is a recovery that keeps their chances of a title in their first season just about alive.