PSL 11 Final: Peshawar Zalmi crowned two times champions
Peshawar Zalmi secured their second PSL title with a five-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the PSL 11 Final, powered by Aaron Hardie’s match-winning all-round performance.
Hardie delivered with both ball and bat, returning career-best figures of 4 for 27 to dismiss Kingsmen for 129, before guiding the chase with an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls as Zalmi reached 130 for 5.
Kingsmen collapse after strong start
Hyderabad Kingsmen appeared well set early, reaching 69 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. Saim Ayub led the charge with a fluent start, eventually finishing as top-scorer with 54 off 50 deliveries, including five fours and two sixes.
He shared a 35-run stand with Marnus Labuschagne, who struck 20 off 12 balls, but that momentum quickly evaporated once Hardie removed the Kingsmen captain.
The innings unravelled rapidly soon after. Sufiyan Muqeem trapped Usman Khan lbw, before a mix-up resulted in Irfan Khan’s run-out. Glenn Maxwell fell first ball to Nahid Rana, and further chaos followed when Michael Bracewell’s direct hit ran out Kusal Perera in the eighth over.
Within a short span, Kingsmen lost four wickets for just two runs in eight deliveries, with two of those dismissals coming via run-outs. That sequence proved decisive, shifting the contest firmly in Zalmi’s favour.
Despite Ayub’s resistance, partnerships never stabilised. The longest stand lasted just 24 balls, between Ayub and Hunain Shah for the eighth wicket. Hardie returned to remove Ayub at the start of the 18th over and Akif Javed later in the same over, sealing his four-wicket haul.
Zalmi wobble before Hardie-Samad stand
Zalmi’s chase began shakily as Mohammad Ali struck early, removing both Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris in the opening over. Hunain Shah added to the pressure by dismissing Kusal Mendis in the fourth over, while Akif Javed accounted for Michael Bracewell soon after.
At 40 for 4, the chase was finely balanced.
Hardie then shifted the momentum decisively. He launched a counterattack, striking Hunain for three boundaries to lift Zalmi to 53 in the powerplay. That approach laid the foundation for a crucial 115-run partnership with Abdul Samad.
Samad contributed 48 off 34 balls, and together they combined controlled accumulation with timely boundary-hitting, steadily pulling the game away from Kingsmen.
Composed finish seals title
As the target drew closer, Samad accelerated, hitting Mohammad Ali for a six and a four before falling at deep midwicket with five runs still required.
The result was sealed in the following over when Farhan Yousuf guided a bouncer from Hunain Shah to the fine leg boundary, confirming Zalmi’s victory.
What this means for PSL
Peshawar Zalmi’s triumph marks their second PSL title, adding to their 2017 success and placing them among the few teams with multiple championships alongside Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars.
For Hyderabad Kingsmen, the defeat ends a remarkable campaign that saw them reach the final after losing their first four matches. However, the middle-order collapse in the final proved decisive, with their total of 129 becoming the lowest first-innings score in a PSL final.
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PSL 11 Final: Kingsmen collapse hands Zalmi control
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