In the final match of HBL PSL 11 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Peshawar Zalmi won their second HBL Pakistan Super League title. They beat the new team Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets. The star of the match was Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie, who played brilliantly and helped Zalmi become one of the few teams with more than one PSL title, along with Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars.
A Dominant Bowling Display
After winning the toss and electing to bowl, Peshawar Zalmi’s bowling unit immediately put the Kingsmen under pressure. While Saim Ayub fought a lonely battle for the newcomers, scoring a gritty 54 runs, the rest of the Hyderabad lineup struggled to cope with the pace and precision of the Zalmi attack.
The standout performer was Aaron Hardie, who dismantled the middle order by taking four wickets, including the dismissal of the dangerous Glenn Maxwell for a duck. Support came from Nahid Rana, a late replacement for Khurram Shehzad, who claimed two wickets, including the scalp of Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne. With seven batters failing to reach double figures, Hyderabad was restricted to a modest total of 129.
The Intense Chase
The chase started very badly for the team that was expected to win. By the end of the fifth over, Peshawar Zalmi was reeling at 40/4. The Gaddafi Stadium crowd was stunned as Captain Babar Azam, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, was dismissed for a duck. Openers Muhammad Haris and Kusal Mendis also fell cheaply, leaving the team in a precarious position.
However, the game shifted back in Zalmi’s favor thanks to a resilient 85-run partnership between Hardie and Abdul Samad. Samad played a vital supporting role with 48 runs before falling near the finish line. Hardie, meanwhile, remained composed, smashing nine boundaries to finish unbeaten on 56 off 39 balls. Zalmi eventually reached the target in the 16th over, sealing the championship with plenty of time to spare.
A Tournament to Remember
This victory caps off a dominant season for Peshawar Zalmi, who finished at the top of the points table with eight wins. For the Hyderabad Kingsmen, despite the loss, the season was a triumph of resilience. After a winless start in their first five games, they fought back to win five in a row and knocked out Islamabad United in a thrilling eliminator to reach the final in their very first year.
Ultimately, the night belonged to Aaron Hardie, who became the first player in PSL history to record both a five-wicket haul (or four-fer) and a half-century in a final, rightfully earning the Player of the Match award.
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