Babar Azam achieved a landmark moment in his cricketing career by winning his first T20 title as captain, leading Peshawar Zalmi to a five-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Match Summary
Hyderabad Kingsmen won the toss and elected to bat first, but were bowled out for a modest 129 runs in 19.4 overs. Aaron Hardie was the star with the ball, taking 4 wickets for 27 runs, while Nahid Rana supported with 2 for 22. In response, Peshawar Zalmi chased down the target in 15.2 overs, securing the title in front of a packed crowd.
Babar's Mixed Fortunes
While Babar celebrated a significant milestone as captain, his personal performance with the bat was disappointing. He was dismissed for a golden duck, caught behind off a wide delivery from Mohammad Ali that moved away sharply. Despite this setback, Babar ended the tournament as the highest run-scorer, amassing 588 runs in 11 matches at an average of 73.50 and a strike rate of 145.90, including three half-centuries and two centuries.
Viral Reactions
After the match, a video featuring former Pakistan cricketers went viral. Ahmed Shehzad commented, "Arre dafa karo. Duck pe to badi dafe out hua hai. Lekin mubarak ho Babar Azam ko. Aaj usne apni pehli trophy jeeti hai. Ye important hai. Come on, boys." Rashid Latif added, "Mubarak Babar Azam. Paan ka swaad aa gya aaj."
Tournament Statistics
Babar Azam topped the run-scoring charts, followed by Kusal Mendis (550 runs), Fakhar Zaman (401 runs), and Usman Khan (389 runs). The tournament also featured notable performances from international stars like Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
