Peshawar Zalmi PSL 11 champions: Babar Azam wins first T20 title as captain; Hardie the hero

Babar Azam’s first ever T20 title as a captain finally arrived as Peshawar Zalmi ended their long wait for glory with a five-wicket win over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the PSL 11 final at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday. A record crowd of 32,461 fans turned up for the final, making it the highest attendance in PSL history.

It marks Zalmi’s second PSL title and their first since 2017, closing a nine-year gap in style. Remember, this is Babar's third PSL title but first as a captain.

Aaron Hardie was the standout performer on the night, producing a complete all-round display. He picked up four wickets to restrict Kingsmen before guiding the chase with an unbeaten half-century. Aussie all-rounder came clutch in the final. What a performance that was.

PSL 11 (2026) – Official Awards:

• Player of the Tournament: Sufiyan Muqeem (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wickets. Sufiyan Muqeem is the first specialist spinner in PSL history to get player-of-the-tournament award

• Most Runs (Orange Cap): Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi) – 588 runs

• Most Wickets (Purple Cap): Sufiyan Muqeem (Peshawar Zalmi) – 22 wickets

• Player of the Match in the final: Aaron Hardie

• Champions: Peshawar Zalmi

• Runners-up: Hyderabad Kingsmen (debutant)

Early collapse, strong response

Chasing 130, Zalmi got off to the worst possible start. Mohammad Haris fell for six and Babar Azam was dismissed for a duck in the opening over by Mohammad Ali.

The situation worsened at 40 for 4 when Michael Bracewell also departed cheaply. But Hardie found solid support in Abdul Samad as the pair rebuilt the innings with composure.

They added a match-defining 85-run partnership that shifted the momentum firmly in Zalmi’s favour. Samad scored a fluent 48 off 34 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes before falling in the 15th over.

Hardie remained unbeaten on 56 off 39 deliveries, striking nine boundaries, as Zalmi chased down the target comfortably with 28 balls to spare.

Mohammad Ali was the pick of the Kingsmen bowlers with three wickets, while Hunain Shah and Akif Javed picked up one each.

Kingsmen collapse after decent start

Earlier, Zalmi’s decision to bowl first proved decisive as they bowled Kingsmen out for 129 in 18 overs.

After losing Maaz Sadaqat early, Kingsmen tried to recover through Saim Ayub and Marnus Labuschagne. Labuschagne scored a quick 20, but the innings soon lost direction.

Usman Khan’s dismissal triggered a collapse, with Kingsmen slipping to 73 for 6 after losing three wickets in quick succession, including two run-outs.

Saim Ayub stood firm with a fighting 54 off 50 balls but did not get enough support from the other end.

Hardie led the bowling effort with figures of 4 for 27, while Nahid Rana took two wickets. Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Basit chipped in with one each.

In the end, it was a complete performance from Zalmi, led by Hardie, as they sealed a memorable win and brought the trophy back after nearly a decade.