Mohsin Naqvi and Babar Azam (Image credit: PSL) NEW DELHI: Babar Azam finally enjoyed his breakthrough moment as captain with relief on his face. Peshawar Zalmi ended their long title drought by defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final of PSL 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday where they were presented with the trophy by Mohsin Naqvi.The win marked Zalmi’s second league title and their first since 2017. Although Babar had tasted PSL success twice before, it was his first trophy as a leader, making it particularly significant.The final belonged to Aaron Hardie, who played a decisive role with both ball and bat. He tore apart the Hyderabad batting with figures of 4 for 27 and restricted them to 129 in 18 overs. Saim Ayub tried to hold things together with a struggling 54, but regular wickets hurt Hyderabad’s chances.The chase did not start well for Zalmi. They were reduced to 40 for 4 in quick time and the early dismissal of Babar for a golden duck put them under pressure. Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell also fell cheaply, putting themselves in trouble.Hardie then approached again, this time with a bat. He scored an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls with a calm but attacking stroke and found the boundary regularly. He built a crucial partnership of 85 runs with Abdul Samad who contributed 48. Their stand turned the match and brought Zalmi within touching distance of the target.Zalmi completed the chase in just 15.2 overs, ending a dominant campaign in style. They were the best team throughout the tournament, losing just once, with Babar also equaling Fakhar Zaman’s record for most runs in a PSL season.Player of the tournament: Sufiyan Muqeem (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wicketsMost Runs (Orange Cap): Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) – 588 runsMost wickets (Purple Cap): Sufiyan Muqeem (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wicketsPlayer of the match in the final: Aaron HardieChampions: Peshawar ZalmiRunner Up: Hyderabad Kingsmen (Debutant)
