Peshawar Zalmi beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final at Lahore’s iconic Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday night to clinch the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) title.
Chasing a modest 130-run target for victory, Peshawar Zalmi crossed the finish line with five wickets and 28 balls remaining, despite losing four key wickets early.
Player of the match, Aaron Hardie, was the top scorer for the Champions with an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls, hitting nine boundaries.
Abdul Samad contributed 48 off 34 balls with the help of three fours and four maximums during a match-winning 85-run partnership with Hardie. Mohammad Ali bagged three wickets, while Akif Javed and Hunain Shah took one wicket apiece.
Kingsmen Innings:
After being asked to bat first by Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam, Hyderabad Kingsmen kept losing wickets at regular intervals after a flying start and were bundled out for 129 in 18 overs.
Saim Ayub was the highest scorer for the Kingsmen, who made 34 off 50 balls, hitting five fours and two maximums. Skipper Marnus Labuschagne made 20 off 12 balls, striking three fours and one maximum.
Hassan Khan contributed 12 off seven balls and Maaz Sadaqat 11 off six balls. No other batter could enter the double figures.
Aaron Hardie bagged four wickets, Nahid Rana two and Mohammad Basit and Sufyan Muqeem one each, while Irfan Khan and Kusal Perera were run out.
Playing XIs:
Hyderabad Kingsmen: Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (wk), Kusal Perera, Glenn Maxwell, Irfan Khan Niazi, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis (wk), Farhan Yousuf, Michael Bracewell, Aaron Hardie, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Sufyan Moqim, Basit Ali, Nahid Rana
