Aaron Hardie backed his four-wicket haul with a blistering half-century to lead Peshawar Zalmi to a five-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in an enthralling Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.

The high-reward victory helped Zalmi clinch their second PSL title, ending a nine-year wait as they first got their hands on the prestigious silverware in 2017 under the leadership of West Indies great Darren Sammy. It also marked the first-ever major trophy for star batter Babar Azam as the captain.

Set to chase a modest 130-run target, Zalmi eventually knocked the winning runs comfortably for the loss of five wickets and 28 balls to spare.

The former champions, however, had a contrasting start to the pursuit as they lost Mohammad Haris (six) and captain Babar Azam (duck) in the pulsating first over, bowled by Mohammad Ali.

After the departure of both openers, all-rounder Aaron Hardie and in-form Kusal Mendis (nine) attempted to anchor the run chase with a 26-run partnership, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the fourth over.

Left-arm pacer Akif Javed inflicted another blow to Zalmi’s run chase in the subsequent over as he got Michael Bracewell (four) caught behind and brought the total down to 40/4.

Hardie was then joined by Abdul Samad in the middle, and the duo turned the game on its head with sensible batting and put Zalmi within touching distance with an 85-run partnership.

Ali broke the crucial stand in the 15th over by dismissing Samad, who walked back after scoring a valiant 48 off 34 deliveries, laced with three fours and four sixes.

Hardie, on the other hand, batted until the end and walked back after top-scoring with an unbeaten 56 off 39 deliveries, studded with nine boundaries.

Ali was the pick of the bowlers for the Kingsmen, taking three wickets for 38 runs in his four overs, while fellow pacers Hunain Shah and Javed could claim one apiece.Zalmi captain Babar Azam’s decision to field first paid dividends as the 2017 champions booked the debutants for a modest 129 in 18 overs.

Kingsmen got off to a shaky start to their innings as their lost left-handed opener Maaz Sadaqat (11) fell victim to Mohammad Basit in the second over with just 16 runs on the board.

Following his dismissal, Saim Ayub joined Marnus Labuschagne in the middle, and the duo ensured retaining the scoring rate by putting together 35 runs in 19 deliveries before Aaron Hardie got the skipper caught behind in the fifth over.

Labuschagne remained a notable run-getter for the Kingsmen, making a 12-ball 20 with the help of three fours and a six.

Saim, on the other hand, was then involved in a 20-run partnership for the third wicket with in-form wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan (eight), who was trapped lbw by leading wicket-taker of the PSL 11 Sufiyan Muqeem in the seventh over.

Usman’s dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse as the Kingsmen lost three more wickets, out of which two were run-outs, in just eight deliveries, and consequently slipped to 73/6 in 7.5 overs.

Following the collapse, Hassan Khan (12) walked out to bat at No.8 and shared a brief 17-run partnership for the seventh wicket with set batter Saim until being sent back by Hardie in the 10th over.

Saim was then involved in cautious partnerships with Hunain Shah (nine) and Mohammad Ali until eventually being dismissed by Hardie on the first delivery of the 18th over.

The left-handed batter remained the top-scorer for the Kingsmen with a cautious 54 off 50 deliveries, featuring five fours and two sixes.

Hardie struck again in the same over, getting Akif Javed (five) caught behind to round up Zalmi’s dominant performance with the ball.

Hardie was the standout bowler for Zalmi in the PSL 11 final, returning sensational figures of 4/27 in his four overs, followed by Nahid Rana, who bagged two wickets, while Muqeem and Basit chipped in with one scalp apiece.

Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam was dismissed for a duck in the PSL 11 final against Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, falling short of Fakhar Zaman’s record for most runs in a single season.

The right-handed batter entered the high-stakes final needing just one run to surpass Zaman’s landmark tally. However, he failed to add to his score and was dismissed without troubling the scorers, missing out on a historic milestone.

Previously, the left-handed batter from the Qalandars held the record in the 2022 edition of the tournament, when he amassed 588 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 152.72, including seven half-centuries and one century.

Babar, meanwhile, has equalled the feat in 11 innings, scoring runs at an outstanding average of 73.50 and a strike rate of 145.90. His season has included two centuries and three half-centuries.

Most runs in a PSL season:

Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) – 588 runs in 2026

Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars) – 588 runs in 2022

Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) – 569 runs in 2024

Babar Azam (Karachi Kings) – 554 runs in 2021

Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) – 550 runs in 2023

Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) – 546 runs in 2022

Kusal Mendis (Peshawar Zalmi) – 541* runs in 2026

Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) – 522 runs in 2023

Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) – 500 runs in 2021

Moreover, the 31-year-old previously equalled two major records during the ongoing edition of the tournament courtesy of a blistering century against Islamabad United in the Qualifier.

Babar Azam top-scored in the high-stakes fixture with a swashbuckling 103 off just 59 deliveries, decorated with 12 fours and four sixes, helping the table-toppers post a commanding total of 221/7 in their 20 overs.

His 57-ball century in the match marked his second of the ongoing edition, making him only the second batter in the history of the marquee league to register two centuries in a single season, joining Usman Khan, who achieved the feat in PSL 9 for Multan Sultans.

An all-round performance by Aaron Hardie powered Peshawar Zalmi to a five-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the final of the 11th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League, securing their second title at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing a modest target, Zalmi endured a disastrous start, losing both openers in the very first over. Mohammad Haris scored six before departing, while captain Babar Azam — the tournament’s top scorer, was gone first ball, caught behind.

Kusal Mendis and Hardie attempted to stabilise the innings, taking the score to 33, but Mendis, the second-highest run-getter of the season, fell for nine to leave Zalmi in further trouble.

Michael Bracewell also departed cheaply as Zalmi slumped to 40 for four within the powerplay, placing the Kingsmen firmly in control.

With the innings in jeopardy, Hardie found support in Abdul Samad, and the pair stitched together a crucial partnership to revive the chase. The duo batted with composure, rotating the strike effectively while dispatching loose deliveries to the boundary.

Their match-defining 85-run partnership flipped the contest. Samad fell for a fluent 48 — laced with four sixes and three fours — with victory within touching distance.

Hardie finished the job clinically, sealing the chase with 28 balls remaining to crown Zalmi champions once again — their first title since 2017.

Aaron Hardie, who scored a clinical 58 and claimed four wickets earlier in the match, was named player of the match for his decisive all-round display.

Earlier, despite Saim Ayub’s fighting 54, Kingsmen managed only a modest 129 against Zalmi in the high-pressure final.

Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and opted to field — a decision that paid early dividends as in-form Maaz Sadaqat fell in the second over after scoring 11.

Captain Marnus Labuschagne then joined Ayub, and together they took the score past 50 in the fifth over. However, just as the Kingsmen appeared to settle, Labuschagne was dismissed for 20.

The innings suffered another setback when their leading batter Usman Khan, who had scored 389 runs in the tournament before the final, was bowled by Sufiyan Muqeem for just eight.

What followed was a dramatic collapse as Kingsmen, after reaching 71 for two, lost four wickets for just one run, paying the price for poor running between the wickets. Glenn Maxwell, Irfan Niazi and Kusal Perera all departed in quick succession, leaving the side reeling at 73 for six.

Hassan Khan and Ayub briefly steadied the innings, taking the total to 90, but Aaron Hardie struck again to end Hassan’s stay. Shortly afterwards, Naheed Rana removed Hunain Shah for nine.

Ayub, however, continued his lone resistance and brought up a fighting half-century, scoring 54 off 50 balls, before his innings ended when Hardie claimed his third wicket.

Kingsmen were eventually bowled out for 129 in 18 overs.

Hardie was the standout bowler, finishing with four wickets for 27 runs, while Naheed Rana picked up two wickets.

PM Shehbaz graces PSL final at Gaddafi Stadium

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived at Gaddafi Stadium to witness the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and graced the occasion.

The prime minister, accompanied by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, met players of both teams and exchanged handshakes ahead of the match.

Before the start of play, the premier and the PCB chairman also posed for a photograph with the captains of the two finalist sides.

The premier appreciated the hard work and dedication of both teams in reaching the final and extended his best wishes for the contest.

Federal ministers Muhammad Aurangzeb, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Abdul Aleem Khan and Rana Mubashir Iqbal, along with Special Assistant Talha Burki, were also present on the occasion.