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Nahid Rana’s Peshawar Zalmi clinch their 2nd PSL title
Aaron Hardie starred with both bat and ball as Peshawar Zalmi secured their first Pakistan Super League (PSL) title since 2017, defeating debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final on Sunday.
Hardie took 4 for 27 to help bowl out Hyderabad for 129 in 18 overs, with Saim Ayub fighting hard for 54. He then remained unbeaten on 56 off 39 balls to guide Zalmi to 130 for 5 in 15.2 overs in front of a packed Gaddafi Stadium crowd.
Peshawar captain Babar Azam described the triumph as a major achievement for the team and fans.
"It's a very big achievement for me, for Peshawar Zalmi and all the fans," he said. "Throughout the tournament we've performed really well as a team … every player executed the plans they were given in batting, bowling, and fielding. Our plan was to go match by match."
Chasing a small target, Peshawar suffered an early collapse, slipping to 40 for 4 inside five overs, with Babar Azam out for a golden duck, while Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis and Michael Bracewell also fell cheaply.
However, Hardie turned the game around with a crucial 85-run partnership with Abdul Samad, who made 48 before falling just short of his half-century when victory was near.
"It was just a great game of cricket," Hardie said. "Kingsmen came out of the blocks really hard. They've certainly had a lot of momentum from the last couple of games and they carried that in, but I'm really proud of the way the boys were able to fight back."
Earlier, Hyderabad made a strong start, reaching 69 for 2 in the powerplay, but lost momentum after the break and collapsed to 73 for 6 in a dramatic batting slide.
Their innings was derailed by disciplined bowling, including key breakthroughs from Sufyan Moqim and Nahid Rana, while sharp fielding also led to two run-outs, reports UNB.
Hyderabad captain Marnus Labuschagne admitted his side fell short with the bat.
"As a batting group, we probably left a few runs out there," he said. "We showed once again that belief in the side and what we can do… but just not enough runs on the board tonight."
Despite the defeat, Hyderabad had a remarkable tournament run after losing their first four matches, later bouncing back to reach the final by defeating former champions Multan Sultans and Islamabad United in the playoffs.