Mohsin Naqvi and Babar Azam (Image credit: PSL)
New Delhi: Babar Azam finally enjoyed his great moment as captain, with relief showing on his face. Peshawar Zalmi ended their long title drought by defeating Hyderabad Kingsman by five wickets in the PSL 11 final at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, with Mohsin Naqvi presenting them with the trophy.The win marked Zalmi’s second league title and his first since 2017. Although Babar had already tasted PSL success twice before, this was his first trophy as captain, making it especially meaningful.The final belonged to Aaron Hardy, who played a decisive role with both ball and bat. He broke down Hyderabad’s batting with figures of 4 for 27, restricting them to 129 from 18 overs. Saim Ayub tried to pull things together with a fighting 54, but regular wickets hurt Hyderabad’s chances.
The chase did not start well for Zalmi. They were reduced to 40 for 4 in quick time, and Babar’s early dismissal for a golden duck put them under pressure. Mohamed Haris, Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell also went down cheaply, leaving the team in trouble.Then Hardy stepped up again, this time with the bat. Playing a calm but attacking stroke, he scored an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls, finding boundaries regularly. He built a crucial 85-run partnership with Abdul Samad who contributed 48.
Their attitude turned the game on its head and put Zalmi within striking distance of the goal.Zalmi completed the chase in just 15.2 overs, ending a dominant campaign in style. They were the standout team throughout the tournament, losing just once, and Babar also equaled Fakhar Zaman’s record for most runs in a single PSL season.Player of the Tournament: Sufyan Muqim (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wicketsMost Runners (Orange Cap): Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) – 588 pointsMost wickets (Purple Cap): Sufyan Muqim (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wicketsFinal MVP: Aaron HardyHero: Peshawar ZalmiRunners-up: Hyderabad Kingsmen (Novice)
