LAHORE: Aaron Hardie backed his four-wicket haul with an unbeaten half-century lead Peshawar Zalmi to a five-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the enthralling Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 final at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
The high-reward victory helped Zalmi clinch their second PSL title, ending a nine-year wait as they first got their hands on the prestigious silverware in 2017 under the leadership of West Indies great Darren Sammy. It also marked the first-ever major trophy for star batter Babar Azam as captain.
𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐀𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐙𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐈! 👏🏼
𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐙𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐈 🏆#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK pic.twitter.com/XJpNHHylzT
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
Babar Azam falls short of historic record
Despite the triumph, there was disappointment for skipper Babar Azam on a personal level. The right-handed opener failed to surpass the 588-run mark set by Fakhar Zaman, the most runs scored by any batter in a single PSL edition by one run.
Babar, who entered the final with high hopes of breaking the record, was dismissed for a duck in the very first over of the chase, bowled by Mohammad Ali. His departure meant the coveted milestone will be shared with Fakhar Zaman.
YELLOW STORM CLAIMS THE HBL PSL TITLE AFTER NINE YEARS🔥#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK pic.twitter.com/ejKtQG0PuL
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
Chase gets off to nightmarish start
Set to chase a modest 130-run target, Zalmi eventually knocked the winning runs comfortably for the loss of five wickets and 28 balls to spare. The former champions, however, had a contrasting start to the pursuit as they lost Mohammad Haris (six) and captain Babar Azam (duck) in the pulsating first over, bowled by Mohammad Ali.
BABAR AZAM’S PESHAWAR ZALMI ARE HBL PSL 11 CHAMPIONS.#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK pic.twitter.com/8nqAziUc8s
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
After the departure of both openers, all-rounder Aaron Hardie and in-form Kusal Mendis (nine) attempted to anchor the run chase with a 26-run partnership, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the fourth over.
Left-arm pacer Akif Javed inflicted another blow to Zalmi’s run chase in the subsequent over as he got Michael Bracewell (four) caught behind and brought the total down to 40 for 4.
Hardie and Samad turn the tide
Hardie was then joined by Abdul Samad in the middle, and the duo turned the game on its head with sensible batting, putting Zalmi within touching distance with an 85-run partnership. Mohammad Ali broke the crucial stand in the 15th over by dismissing Samad, who walked back after scoring a valiant 48 off 34 deliveries, laced with three fours and four sixes.
Maiden HBL PSL half-century for Aaron Hardie👏#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK pic.twitter.com/sCgOrRKuYX
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
Hardie, on the other hand, batted until the end and walked back after top-scoring with an unbeaten 56 off 39 deliveries, studded with nine boundaries. Ali was the pick of the bowlers for the Kingsmen, taking three wickets for 38 runs in his four overs, while fellow pacers Hunain Shah and Javed could claim one apiece.
Hardie and Samad continue to cruise as Zalmi march closer to the target 🔥#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK pic.twitter.com/HkkT26Lfl2
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
Zalmi Bowlers restrict Kingsmen to modest total
Earlier, Zalmi captain Babar Azam’s decision to field first paid dividends as the 2017 champions bundled the debutants out for a modest 129 in 18 overs. Kingsmen got off to a shaky start as left-handed opener Maaz Sadaqat (11) fell victim to Mohammad Basit in the second over with just 16 runs on the board.
Following his dismissal, Saim Ayub joined Marnus Labuschagne in the middle, and the duo ensured retaining the scoring rate by putting together 35 runs in 19 deliveries before Aaron Hardie got the skipper caught behind in the fifth over. Labuschagne remained a notable run-getter for the Kingsmen, making a 12-ball 20 with the help of three fours and a six.
Middle-order collapse derails Hyderabad
Saim was then involved in a 20-run partnership for the third wicket with in-form wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan (eight), who was trapped lbw by leading wicket-taker of PSL 11, Sufiyan Muqeem, in the seventh over. Usman’s dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse as the Kingsmen lost three more wickets, two of them run-outs, in just eight deliveries, and consequently slipped to 73 for 6 in 7.5 overs.
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
Following the collapse, Hassan Khan (12) walked out to bat at No. 8 and shared a brief 17-run partnership for the seventh wicket with set batter Saim until being sent back by Hardie in the 10th over. Saim was then involved in cautious partnerships with Hunain Shah (nine) and Mohammad Ali until eventually being dismissed by Hardie on the first delivery of the 18th over.
The left-handed batter remained the top-scorer for the Kingsmen with a cautious 54 off 50 deliveries, featuring five fours and two sixes. Hardie struck again in the same over, getting Akif Javed (five) caught behind to round up Zalmi’s dominant performance with the ball.
Lahoriyon, thank you for turning up 🫶#HBLPSL11 | #NewEra | #PZvHK pic.twitter.com/101fwR7wjz
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) May 3, 2026
Hardie was the standout bowler for Zalmi in the PSL 11 final, returning sensational figures of 4 for 27 in his four overs, followed by Nahid Rana, who bagged two wickets, while Muqeem and Basit chipped in with one scalp apiece.
