Lahore (Web Desk): Peshawar Zalmi lifted their second Pakistan Super League crown after defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in a gripping final of eleventh season of Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday night.
The triumph ended a long wait for Zalmi, whose only previous PSL title came back in 2017 under former skipper Darren Sammy.
The victory also marked the first major championship win for captain Babar Azam as leader of a franchise side.
The star of the final was unquestionably Aaron Hardie, who delivered a sensational all-round display with four wickets before guiding the chase with an unbeaten half-century.
Pursuing a target of 130, Zalmi reached the finish line with five wickets down and nearly five overs left in the innings.
Despite the comfortable ending, the chase began in disastrous fashion as fast bowler Mohammad Ali rocked the top order in the very first over. He first removed Mohammad Haris for six and then dismissed Babar Azam without a run on the board, leaving Zalmi stunned early.
With the pressure mounting, Aaron Hardie and Kusal Mendis attempted to rebuild the innings and stitched together a useful 26-run partnership before Mendis departed after scoring nine.
Zalmi suffered another setback moments later when left-arm seamer Akif Javed had Michael Bracewell caught behind for four, reducing the side to 40/4.
From that point onward, Hardie took control of the contest. The Australian all-rounder combined with Abdul Samad to produce a game-changing 85-run partnership that completely shifted momentum in Zalmi’s favour.
Samad played an aggressive supporting role with a valuable 48 off 34 deliveries, smashing three boundaries and four sixes before Mohammad Ali finally broke the stand in the 15th over.
Hardie, however, remained composed throughout the innings and carried his bat with a match-winning 56 not out from 39 balls, striking nine boundaries to finish the job in style.
Mohammad Ali emerged as the most successful bowler for the Kingsmen with figures of 3 for 38, while Hunain Shah and Akif Javed picked up one wicket each.
Earlier in the evening, Babar Azam’s decision to bowl first proved to be the perfect call as Hyderabad Kingsmen were bundled out for 129 in 18 overs.
Their innings got off to an uneasy start when opener Maaz Sadaqat was dismissed for 11 by Mohammad Basit with only 16 runs on the scoreboard.
After the early blow, captain Saim Ayub and Marnus Labuschagne counterattacked brilliantly, adding 35 runs in only 19 deliveries.
Labuschagne looked dangerous during his short stay, hammering 20 from 12 balls with three fours and a six before Hardie struck to remove him behind the wicket in the fifth over.
Saim Ayub then partnered with Usman Khan in an effort to stabilise the innings, but spinner Sufiyan Muqeem trapped Usman lbw for eight. That wicket opened the floodgates as the Kingsmen’s middle order collapsed dramatically, losing three more wickets in the space of just eight deliveries, including two run-outs, to slump to 73/6.
Lower-order batter Hassan Khan briefly resisted with a 12-run contribution and shared a short stand with Saim Ayub, but Hardie once again made the breakthrough by dismissing him in the 10th over.
Saim continued to fight at one end and later formed cautious partnerships with Hunain Shah and Mohammad Ali before eventually falling to Hardie on the opening ball of the 18th over.
Saim Ayub finished as the highest scorer for the Kingsmen with a patient 54 off 50 balls, including five fours and two sixes. Hardie capped off his outstanding night by dismissing Akif Javed in the same over to complete brilliant figures of 4 for 27.
Nahid Rana supported well with two wickets, while Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Basit chipped in with one scalp each as Zalmi sealed a memorable championship victory.