Peshawar Zalmi defeated Hyderabad Kingsmen to lift the title of the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League.
Peshawar Zalmi successfully chased down the target of 130 runs set by Hyderabad Kingsmen in the 15th over, losing five wickets in the process.
For Zalmi, Aaron Hardie played an unbeaten innings of 56 runs, while Abdul Samad contributed a crucial 48-run knock, playing a key role in securing the victory. Farhan Yousuf remained not out on 4 runs.
Earlier, Zalmi batters Kushal Mendis (9), Mohammad Haris (6), and Michael Bracewell (4) returned to the pavilion after low scores, while captain Babar Azam failed to score.
Zalmi produced a clinical bowling display to restrict Hyderabad Kingsmen to 129 in 18 overs in the Pakistan Super League Season 11 final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday.
Opting to field first, Zalmi captain Babar Azam saw his decision justified as early breakthroughs and sharp fielding left the debutants struggling to build momentum.
Kingsmen’s innings never fully recovered from a faltering start. Left-handed opener Maaz Sadaqat departed in the second over for 11, caught off the bowling of Mohammad Basit with just 16 runs on the board. The early setback brought Saim Ayub to the crease alongside captain Marnus Labuschagne, and the pair briefly stabilised the innings with a brisk 35-run stand off 19 deliveries.
Labuschagne looked fluent during his short stay, striking three boundaries and a six in his 20 off 12 balls, before falling to Aaron Hardie in the fifth over. His dismissal halted Kingsmen’s early progress and opened the door for Zalmi’s bowlers to apply sustained pressure.
Ayub continued to anchor the innings, adding 20 runs for the third wicket with wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan, who made eight before being trapped lbw by Sufiyan Muqeem in the seventh over. That breakthrough triggered a dramatic collapse as Kingsmen lost three wickets in the space of eight deliveries, including two run-outs, slipping to 73 for six inside eight overs.
The middle-order unravelled rapidly under pressure. Glenn Maxwell was run out for one, while Kusal Perera fell for a first-ball duck to Nahid Rana. Another run-out accounted for Hassan Khan, leaving Kingsmen in deep trouble during the powerplay phase.
Attempting to rebuild, Ayub found brief support from Hunain Shah as the pair added 17 runs for the seventh wicket. Hunain contributed 12 from seven balls before becoming Hardie’s third victim in the 10th over, further denting Kingsmen’s hopes of a late surge.
Ayub adopted a cautious approach as wickets continued to fall around him. He brought up a measured half-century, finishing as the top-scorer with 54 off 50 deliveries, including five fours and two sixes. His innings held the structure together but lacked the acceleration required to push the total beyond a competitive mark.
The innings drew to a close in the 18th over when Hardie returned to dismiss Ayub and then Akif Javed, who scored five. Mohammad Ali remained unbeaten on nine as Kingsmen were bowled out for 129, with seven extras contributing to the total.