Why Shadab Khan Is Not Playing Islamabad United vs Hyderabad Kingsmen PSL 2026 Match?

Shadab Khan for Islamabad United [Source: AFP]

Pakistan veteran Shadab Khan, the Islamabad United skipper for Pakistan Super League 2026, have been ruled out of the April 12 match for the Islamabad United vs Hyderabad Kingsmen PSL 2026 clash.

The match, set to take place at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi, will see the skipper miss the game, with him last playing PSL match on April 9 against Quetta Gladiators.

Notably, Shadab Khan has been facing injury concerns due to a recurring issue that he suffered back in 2025.

Shadab Khan Absence In Hyderabad vs Islamabad match explained

During the toss of the Islamabad United vs Hyderabad Kingsmen, Khan's replacement was announced as Mehran Mumtaz by stand-in skipper Chris Green, who is also set to make his debut for his team on April 12.

“Unfortunately, he is not feeling good today. We have got a long break before the next game and a long one after that too. It is precautionary. So, I have got big shoes to fill,” Green said during the toss.

Shadab's prosperous PSL 2026 outings

The nifty all-rounder, Shadab Khan, who bowls right-arm leg spin, has played only a few matches in the Pakistan Super League, featuring in three of them and grabbing seven wickets from four innings at an economy rate of 6.93.

His notable outing was against Quetta Gladiators on April 2, where he scalped three wickets while giving away only 23 runs. In the T20 World Cup 2026, too, he was impressive with his five wickets from six matches.

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Even against Quetta Gladiators, Shadab managed to pull off a 39-ball 69 with the bat, underlining his importance as an all-rounder. However, given his long injury concerns, Mehran Mumtaz has been called in as announced in the toss.

Mehran Mumtaz makes his debut for Islamabad

Nevertheless, Shadab Khan's absence will be filled by left-arm orthodox spinner Mumtaz, who came into the limelight after the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in 2021–2022.

In the National T20 Cup 2026, playing for Rawalpindiz, Mumtaz picked up eight wickets from his four innings while maintaining an economy rate of 6.93.

Whether he shines in today’s game or not will be a topic of discussion; meanwhile, Islamabad United have been in hot form recently.

Islamabad United in red hot form in PSL 2026

Islamabad United have won 3 out of 5 matches in PSL 2026 so far, bagging 7 points at a net run rate of +2.052, while one match against Peshawar Zalmi was abandoned due to rain.

They lost their inaugural clash against Multan Sultans; however, they bounced back with three back-to-back wins against Quetta Gladiators, Rawalpindi, and Lahore Qalandars, all by dominant margins.

Islamabad's comeback has been scripted by Sameer Minhas, the young gun, who has scored 185 runs from 5 matches at an average of 61.66. Devon Conway has also been consistent, scoring a total of 109 runs at an average of 36.33.

In the bowling department, Shadab Khan himself has been quite active with his seven wickets in the season, alongside Imad Wasim and Salman Irshad.

Chris Green, the skipper for the Islamabad United versus Hyderabad Kingsmen match, has also scalped three wickets from four matches, underlining his effectiveness with the ball.

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