Peshawar Zalmi ended their long wait for glory by defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen in the PSL 11 final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, clinching their second Pakistan Super League title after nine years.
The victory marked Zalmi’s first championship since 2017 and also gave captain Babar Azam his first major trophy as skipper.
Chasing a modest target of 130, Zalmi comfortably reached the total with five wickets down and 28 balls remaining. However, the chase began on a shaky note as Mohammad Ali struck twice in the opening over, dismissing Mohammad Haris for six and removing Babar for a duck.
Zalmi struggled early, slipping to 40/4 after Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell fell cheaply. Mendis scored nine before departing, while Bracewell couldn’t make an impact.
The turning point came with a crucial 85-run partnership between Aaron Hardie and Abdul Samad. Samad played an aggressive knock of 48 off 34 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes before getting out in the 15th over.
Hardie remained composed till the end, finishing unbeaten on 56 off 39 balls with nine boundaries, guiding Zalmi to victory.
For Hyderabad Kingsmen, Mohammad Ali was the standout performer with figures of 3/38, while Hunain Shah and Akif Javed picked up one wicket each.
Earlier, Zalmi’s decision to bowl first proved decisive as they bowled out Hyderabad Kingsmen for 129 in 18 overs. The Kingsmen lost Maaz Sadaqat early, but Marnus Labuschagne and Saim Ayub added some momentum with a quick partnership. Labuschagne scored 20 off 12 balls before being dismissed by Hardie.
A middle-order collapse then hurt Hyderabad badly, as they lost three wickets in quick succession, including two run-outs, slipping to 73/6. Saim Ayub fought back with a top score of 54 off 50 balls, including five fours and two sixes, but lacked support from the rest of the batting lineup.
Hardie delivered an all-round performance, taking 4/27 with the ball, while Nahid Rana picked up two wickets. Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Basit chipped in with one wicket each.
With match-winning contributions in both departments, Aaron Hardie emerged as the standout performer as Peshawar Zalmi sealed the PSL 11 title.
