New Delhi: Babar Azam Finally enjoying his breakthrough moment as captain, a relaxed expression was evident on his face. Peshawar Zalmi ended a long title drought by beating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the match. PSL Mohsin Naqvi presented him with the trophy during the final on Sunday, 11, at the Gaddafi Stadium.The victory marked Zalmi’s second league title and their first since 2017. Although Babar has tasted PSL success twice before, this is his first trophy as a leader, which makes it all the more meaningful.The final belonged to Aaron Hardy, who played a decisive role with both ball and bat. He smashed Hyderabad’s batting with 4 for 27, restricting them to 129 in 18 overs. Saim Ayub tried to settle the game with a strike of 54 but regular wickets hurt Hyderabad’s chances.The chase got off to a rocky start for Zalmi. They quickly reduced their record to 4-for-40, with Babar’s early golden duck leaving them under pressure. Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell were also dropped, leaving the team in trouble.Hardy then stood up again, this time with a bat. He played calmly and aggressively, scoring an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls and scoring regularly. He formed a crucial partnership of 85 runs with Abdul Samad, who contributed 48 runs. Their stance turned the game around and brought Zalmi close to goal.Zalmi completed the chase in just 15.2 overs, ending a dominant contest in style. They were the best team in the entire tournament, losing just once and Babar also equaled Fakhar Zaman’s record for most points scored in a single season in the PSL.Player of the Tournament: Sufiyan Muqeem (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wicketsMost runs (Orange Cap): Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) – 588 runsMost wickets (Purple Cap): Sufiyan Muqeem (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wicketsPlayer of the Final: Aaron HardyWinner: Peshawar ZalmiRunners-up: Hyderabad Kingsmen (debut)
