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Peshawar Zalmi Clinch Title After 8 Years, Defeat Hyderabad Kingsmen in Dominant Final
PSL 2026 Final: Peshawar Zalmi defeated Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the PSL final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday night to win the title. Aaron Hardy was the hero of Peshawar's title win, delivering a stellar performance with both bat and ball.
The finale of the Pakistan Cricket League was contested by Peshawar Zalmi against Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday evening. Hyderabad batted first but lost their last wicket after scoring 129 in 18 overs. In contrast, Zalmi managed to score 129 in just 15.2 overs after losing five wickets. Babar Azam’s side has won the title for the first time since 2017.
Zalmi performed outstandingly this season, winning all but one game in the league. Chasing a total in the final, Aaron Hardy made 56 off 39 balls, while Abdul Samad contributed 48 off 34 balls. Zalmi’s total fell to 33/3 at one stage. An 85-run partnership between Hardy and Samad ensured victory and paved the way for the trophy.
Earlier, Zalmi's bowling unit performed brilliantly. Hardy (4/27), Nahid Rana (2/22), and Sufyan Muqeem (1/23) put a brake on the opposition's run-rate. The opposition was at 71/2. From there, four wickets fell within just two runs. Sam Ayub played a brilliant innings of 54 runs off 50 balls, but he lacked support from the other end. Hardy was awarded the Player of the Match award for his all-round performance.
