Marnus Labuschagne (Hyderabad Kingsmen Captain): “(On the win) I don’t have words to describe what we’ve done today. This team — we’re definitely providing entertainment. At one stage, it looked like we were going to win comfortably, then suddenly we weren’t. Then it felt like it was over — like we should pack our bags and go home. And then Hunain Shah comes in and defends six in the last over, conceding just three, to win the game — with only four fielders out. It’s unbelievable.
(On his team) I can’t describe what we’ve just done or how far we’ve come as a team. I’ve got goosebumps just talking about it. The ownership, the belief, the trust they’ve shown in selecting every individual — even when it might not have made sense to people on the outside — it’s all paying off. Every player has stepped up and shown their skill throughout the tournament.
Take Usman Khan, for example — he struggled for about eight games, and then suddenly he produced 66 off 30 on a two-paced pitch where we thought 170–180 would be competitive. That was an outstanding innings. And then the bowlers, once again, getting those breakthroughs in the powerplay. They’ve been fantastic all tournament.
(What was he thinking in the last over?) We’ve spoken about this before, but even when Hunain had an expensive over earlier, I just felt that moment was building. In a way, it was perfect — having only four fielders out made things simpler. The plan was clear: keep everyone straight and try to execute six yorkers.
Honestly, I don’t know what more to say. It was the perfect storm, and it’s finally come together."