LAHORE: A batting collapse, a lone warrior, and a four-wicket haul from Aaron Hardie, the PSL 11 final witnessed it all as Hyderabad Kingsmen stumbled to a modest 129 runs, leaving Peshawar Zalmi needing just 130 to lift the trophy at a packed Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Aaron Hardie’s four-fer and Nahid Rana’s two wickets restrict Hyderabad Kingsmen to 129 all out.#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK pic.twitter.com/9IE9th6ZDt
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Zalmi’s bowlers produced a disciplined performance, with Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie leading the attack.
Hardie returned exceptional figures of 4 wickets for just 27 runs in his 4 overs, dismantling the Kingsmen’s top and middle order.
For Hyderabad, opener Saim Ayub emerged as the lone warrior, scoring a resilient 54 runs off 50 balls, studded with five boundaries and two sixes.
Maiden HBL PSL 11 half-century for Saim Ayub👏#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK pic.twitter.com/HOY8cwtvHb
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
Captain Marnus Labuschagne contributed a quick 20 off 12 deliveries before falling to Hardie, while Maaz Sadaqat made 11 off 6.
However, the Kingsmen suffered a dramatic middle-order collapse. From a promising position, they lost four wickets for just 22 runs, slipping from 51 for 2 to 73 for 6. Glenn Maxwell departed for a golden duck, while Usman Khan (8), Irfan Khan (1), and Kusal Perera (1) failed to make an impact.
Hassan Khan briefly revived hopes with a brisk 12 off 7 balls, but Nahid Rana (2 for 22) and Sufyan Moqim (1 for 23) kept the pressure on.
STAT ALERT
Aaron Hardie’s 4-27 against Hyderabad Kingsmen are the second-best bowling figures in an HBL PSL final. It is also the second four-wicket haul in HBL PSL finals.#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
Mohammad Basit also claimed one wicket, while Iftikhar Ahmed and Michael Bracewell bowled economically but remained wicketless. Akif Javed was the last man out for 5, caught behind off Hardie, as Hyderabad were bowled out in 18 overs.
The chase now lies ahead for Peshawar Zalmi, who boast the tournament’s leading run-scorers, Babar Azam and Kusal Mendis, and will look to seal their second PSL title in front of a packed Gaddafi Stadium crowd.
THANK YOU, LAHORE! ♥️#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK pic.twitter.com/xhZ0aK3Tdd
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
Brief scores: Hyderabad Kingsmen 129 all out (18 overs, Saim Ayub 54, Aaron Hardie 4/27) vs Peshawar Zalmi.
