LAHORE: Babar Azam has added a major milestone to his career by joining the select group of captains to have won the Pakistan Super League (PSL) title, following Peshawar Zalmi’s triumph in the 11th edition.
Babar, who began his captaincy journey in the PSL with Karachi Kings in 2022, secured his first title as captain by leading Zalmi to victory, ending the franchise’s nine-year wait since Darren Sammy guided them to glory in 2017.
With the win, Babar became only the second Zalmi captain to lift the trophy and the ninth overall in PSL history, joining notable names such as Sarfaraz Ahmed and Misbah-ul-Haq. Shaheen Shah Afridi remains the most successful captain in the league with three titles.
Captains with most PSL titles:
- Shaheen Afridi (Lahore Qalandars) – 3
- Misbah-ul-Haq (Islamabad United) – 1
- Darren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi) – 1
- JP Duminy (Islamabad United) – 1
- Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) – 1
- Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings) – 1
- Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) – 1
- Shadab Khan (Islamabad United) – 1
- Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) – 1
In the PSL 11 final at Gaddafi Stadium, Zalmi delivered a composed performance to defeat Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets. Babar’s decision to field first proved effective, as Kingsmen were restricted to 129 in 18 overs despite a resilient 54 from Saim Ayub.
Zalmi’s chase faced early setbacks, with the team reduced to 40-4, but a crucial 85-run partnership between Aaron Hardie and Abdul Samad turned the match in their favour.
Samad contributed 48 runs before departing, while Hardie remained unbeaten on 56 off 39 balls to guide Zalmi to victory with 28 balls remaining.
The triumph marks a significant moment in Babar’s captaincy career, as he finally secures his first PSL title and cements his place among the league’s successful leaders.
