In a thrilling finale that had fans on the edge of their seats, Aaron Hardie delivered a masterclass all-round performance to lead Babar Azam's Peshawar Zalmi to their second Pakistan Super League title. The five-wicket victory over newcomers Hyderabad Kingsmen at Lahore's packed Gaddafi Stadium was a testament to the team's resilience and Hardie's brilliance under pressure.
Hardie first dismantled Hyderabad's batting lineup with figures of 4-27, bowling them out for a modest 129 in 18 overs. Then, with his team in deep trouble at 40-4 inside the first five overs, the Australian all-rounder stepped up to anchor the chase. His unbeaten 56 off 39 balls, laced with nine boundaries, turned a potential disaster into a comfortable victory, reaching 130-5 with nearly five overs to spare.
For captain Babar Azam, this triumph was particularly sweet. After a turbulent period that saw him in and out of Pakistan's T20 setup, the star batsman finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 588 runs, equaling Fakhar Zaman's PSL record. His two centuries were instrumental in Peshawar's dominant campaign, where they lost just one match en route to the title.
"It's a very big achievement for me, for Peshawar Zalmi and all the fans," said an emotional Babar, winning his first PSL title as captain. "Throughout the tournament, we've performed really well as a team. Every player executed the plans they were given in batting, bowling, and fielding. Our plan was to go match by match."
The early collapse in the final was alarming. Babar fell for a golden duck, while Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis, and Michael Bracewall all departed for single-digit scores. But Hardie found a reliable partner in Abdul Samad, who smashed 48 runs in a match-turning 85-run partnership. Samad fell just five runs short of victory, holing out in the deep, but Hardie calmly finished the job to send the yellow-and-pink clad fans into raptures.
"It was just a great game of cricket," Hardie reflected. "Kingsmen came out of the blocks really hard. They've certainly had a lot of momentum from the last couple of games and they carried that in, but I'm really proud of the way the boys were able to fight back."
The victory marks Peshawar Zalmi's second PSL title and cements their status as one of the league's most consistent franchises. For fans looking to celebrate this historic win, our collection of Peshawar Zalmi-inspired gear captures the spirit of champions.