New Delhi: Babur Azam Finally enjoying his moment of success as captain, relief was evident on his face. Peshawar Zalmi ended their long title drought by defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets. PSL The final of the 11 was held on Sunday at the Gaddafi Stadium where Mohsin Naqvi presented them with the trophy.The win marked Zalmi’s second league title and their first since 2017. Although Babar has already tasted PSL success twice, this was his first trophy as a leader, which makes it particularly meaningful.The final belonged to Aaron Hardy who played a decisive role with both ball and bat. He dismantled the Hyderabad batting with 4 wickets for 27 runs, restricting them to 129 in 18 overs. Saeem Ayub tried to hold 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. Mohammad Haris, Kosal Mendes and Michael Bracewell also fell cheaply, putting the team in trouble.Hardy stepped up again, this time with a bat. Playing a calm but attacking knock, he scored an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls, hitting boundaries regularly. He shared a crucial partnership of 85 runs with Abdul Samad, who scored 48 runs. His stance turned the game around and put Zalmi within touching distance of the target.Zalmi chased down the target in just 15.2 overs, wrapping up a dominant campaign in style. They were the standout team throughout the tournament, losing just once, Babar also equaled Fakhar Zaman’s record for the most runs in a PSL season.Player of the Tournament: Sufyan Moqim (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wicketsMost Runs (Orange Cap): Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) – 588 runsMost wickets (Purple Cap): Sufyan Moqim (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wicketsPlayer of the match in the final: Aaron HardyChampions: Peshawar ZalmiRunners Up: Hyderabad Kingsmen (New Players)
