Peshawar Zalmi wins PSL 2026 with team effort led by Hardie

Peshawar Zalmi Secures Second PSL Title with Five-Wicket Win Over Hyderabad Kingsmen

Peshawar Zalmi clinched their second Pakistan Super League (PSL) title with a five-wicket win over Hyderabad Kingsmen at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday. The team’s captain, Babar Azam, led his side to victory despite an early wobble in the run chase.

Aaron Hardie delivered a crucial all-round performance for Peshawar Zalmi, taking 4-27 to bowl out Hyderabad for 129 runs in 18 overs. He then scored 56 not out off 39 balls to anchor Peshawar’s innings, which finished on 130-5 in 15.2 overs.

Hyderabad Kingsmen had a strong start to their innings, posting 69-2 during the power play phase. However, they lost momentum and crashed to 73-6 in just nine balls after that. The team’s batting lineup struggled to recover from this setback, with several key players falling for single-digit scores.

Peshawar Zalmi’s captain Babar Azam finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer, while Aaron Hardie was praised for his match-winning performance. “It was just a great game of cricket,” Hardie said in a post-match interview. The team’s coach and players were also commended for their teamwork and execution of plans throughout the tournament.

Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne acknowledged that his team did not post an imposing target, saying, “As a batting group, we probably left a few runs out there.” Despite this, the team showed resilience and determination throughout the match.

Source: Al Jazeera