Pakistan’s top batsman Babar Azam performed both on the field and on the podium as he led Peshawar Zalmi to the PSL 2026 title, making a strong statement about his future across formats after a dominant campaign.Peshawar Zalmi beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to seal their first title since 2017. While the long wait for the trophy ended, it was Babar’s emphatic stance on playing all three formats that attracted equal attention.“Teenon me khelunga, befikre rahiye. Teenon ki taraf hai, aap tension na le..jo aap puchna chah rahe hai (I will play all three formats, don’t worry. I am available to everyone so you don’t have to stress about it… I know what you are trying to ask Barbar after the win with a big smile),” clear amid ongoing debates about his relevance for T20.Babar’s bat talksBabar’s words were backed up by a stellar season. He finished as the leading run scorer with 588 runs in 11 matches at a staggering average of 73.50 and a strike rate of 145.91, including two centuries and three fifties. The performance not only boosted Zalmi’s title charge but also silenced critics who questioned his place in the shortest format.When Babar was further pressed on the priorities of the format, he doubled down on his philosophy.“Look, the player shouldn’t decide…the player’s role should be played. I think every player should play cricket. Don’t just focus on the white ball or T20. You get a lot of experience with the red ball…you get patience…you get the experience of playing long innings when you play four-day or domestic cricket. That’s why you get the tenon format, hint khelnahar, who aLookko is not really on the player – the player’s job is to play in my opinion, every player a cricketer should play all formats. He should not focus only on white-ball cricket or only red-ball cricket… it strengthens you with patience… it teaches you how to play long innings, especially when you play all three formats of cricket).”WATCH:Hardie plays in the final as Zalmi win the titleWhile Babar led from the front throughout the tournament, it was Aaron Hardie who shone in the final with a sensational all-round performance. The Australian took 4/27 to bowl Hyderabad out for 129 before smashing an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls to guide Zalmi home in 15.2 overs.Despite collapsing early to 40/4, Hardie stitched an 85-run winning stand with Abdul Samad (48) to turn the game on its head.“It’s a big achievement for me, Peshawar Zalmi and all the fans,” said Babar. “We performed really well as a team during the tournament … every player executed the plans they were given.Hyderabad, led by Marnus Labuschagne, showed promise but faltered after a strong power play, losing wickets in clusters and failing to produce a competitive total.
