Summary of this article
Hyderabad Kingsmen won toss, chose to bat against Multan Sultans
Marnus Labuschagne called it "great opportunity to put runs on the board"
Ashton Turner said he's relying on advice from teammates regarding how pitches will behave at PSL 2026
Hyderabad Kingsmen skipper Marnus Labuschagne won the toss and elected to bat first against Multan Sultans in the eighth match of Pakistan Super League 2026 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday (April 1).
Labuschagne said after winning the toss: "It looks like a good track and from the last couple of games it seems better to bat first, so it’s a great opportunity for us to put runs on the board.
"We’re not really frustrated with the losses - we’re focusing on learning from each game and making sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes, and this is a good chance to correct those performances. We’ve made a couple of changes - Sharjeel comes in for Hammad and Mohammad Ali replaces Akif."
His opposite number Ashton Turner said: "There was always some uncertainty with a new group - new ownership, staff, and players - but we knew we had a talented squad, and it was satisfying to start well and see how the team has come together.
"Momin, the young wrist spinner, has been impressive - we had tough selection calls with multiple quality options, but for him to step in, perform, and be man of the match gives him a lot of confidence, especially since he hasn’t played much domestic cricket yet.
"As for the pitch, wickets here feel a bit unfamiliar to me, so I’m relying on advice from teammates, and since bowling first worked for us last game, we will stick with that approach."
Hyderabad Kingsmen Vs Multan Sultans, PSL 2026: Playing XIs
Multan Sultans: Sahibzada Farhan, Steven Smith, Ashton Turner (c), Shan Masood, Josh Philippe (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Peter Siddle, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shehzad Gul, Momin Qamar
Hyderabad Kingsmen: Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (c), Usman Khan (wk), Syed Saad Ali, Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Maheesh Theekshana, Riley Meredith, Mohammad Ali
Which teams are playing in match 8 of Pakistan Super League 2026?
Hyderabad Kingsmen and Multan Sultans are playing in match 8 of Pakistan Super League 2026.
What are the squads of Hyderabad Kingsmen and Multan Sultans?
Hyderabad Kingsmen: Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (c), Usman Khan (wk), Syed Saad Ali, Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Hammad Azam, Maheesh Theekshana, Riley Meredith, Akif Javed, Sharjeel Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Rizwan Mehmood, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Hunain Shah, Asif Mehmood
Multan Sultans: Sahibzada Farhan, Steven Smith, Ashton Turner (c), Shan Masood, Josh Philippe (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Peter Siddle, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shehzad Gul, Momin Qamar, Atizaz Habib Khan, Muhammad Ismail, Awais Zafar, Muhammad Shahzad, Lachlan Shaw, Faisal Akram, Delano Potgieter, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Arshad Iqbal, Tabraiz Shamsi
