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PSL: Hardie dazzles as Peshawar win title with big win over Hyderabad
Chasing a modest 130 for victory in the final at Lahore, Peshawar reached home with 28 balls to spare, thanks to a fine 56 not out off 39 balls from Aaron Hardie
- PUBLISHED: Sun 3 May 2026, 10:58 PM UPDATED: Mon 4 May 2026, 10:26 AM
Aaron Hardie produced a brilliant all-round performance as Peshawar Zalmi held their nerve to beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final on Sunday.
Hardie's four-wicket haul with the ball and a sparkling half-century (56 not out off 39 balls) with the bat earned a memorable victory for Peshawar.
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Chasing a modest 130 for victory in the final at Lahore, Peshawar reached home with 28 balls to spare.
The Australian all-rounder found good support from Abdul Samad (48 off 34 balls) after Peshawar lost four wickets for just 40 runs in their reply to Hyderabad's 129 all out.
Skipper Babar Azam, top-scorer of the season, was out for a duck, failing to add to his tally of 588 runs.
Defending a small total, pace bowlers Mohammad Ali (4-0-38-3) and Hunain Shah (4-0-29-1) gave Hyderabad hope with their early strikes, but Hardie refused to give up.
The 27-year-old added a match-turning 85-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Samad to help Zalmi win their second PSL title.
Earlier, Hardie (4-0-27-4) delivered an outstanding spell of pace bowling as Peshawar restricted Hyderabad to a modest score.
"I couldn't have had a better start to my PSL journey. I'm super grateful to be part of Zalmi and to get to know everyone. We've had great fun and, obviously, a really successful season," Hardie said.
The comprehensive final victory capped a dominant campaign for Peshawar, who topped the league stage with 17 points from 10 matches, including eight wins.
Peshawar outplayed Islamabad United in the qualifier 1 to storm into the final before clinching the title on Sunday.
"Look, from the start, we sat down and decided how we wanted to play and approach the tournament. I have to give a lot of credit to the players for the way they've approached it. We've only lost one game and have been consistent the whole way through," Peshawar Zalmi coach Ottis Gibson said.
Peshawar's victory ended Hyderabad's hopes of completing a fairytale debut season.
The debutants lost their first three games before staging a stunning comeback, winning seven of their next eight matches to reach the final.
They came into the final with high hopes, but the Hardie-inspired Peshawar bowling attack never gave them a chance to post a big total, as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Saim Ayub scored a definite 54 off 50 balls, but the left-hander found no support from the other end.
"A few things didn’t go our way. As a batting group, we probably left a few runs out there," said Hyderabad captain Marnus Labuschagne.
"There just weren’t enough runs on the board. Tonight hurts, obviously, but when you reflect, it’s been an amazing season and a great tournament for us."
Brief scores:
Final – Peshawar Zalmi beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Hyderabad Kingsmen 129 all out, 18 overs (Saim Ayub 54, Marnus Labuschagne 20; Aaron Hardie 4-27, Nahid Rana 2-22)
Peshawar Zalmi 130-5, 15.2 overs (Aaron Hardie 56 not out, Abdul Samad 48; Mohammad Ali 3-38)
Player of the Final: Aaron Hardie (Peshawar Zalmi)
Best Batter of the tournament: Babar Azam – 588 runs (Peshawar Zalmi)
Best Bowler and player of the tournament: Sufyan Moqim – 22 wickets (Peshawar Zalmi)
Best wicket-keeper of the tournament: Kusal Mendis – 550 runs and 8 dismissals (Peshawar Zalmi)
All-rounder of the tournament: Shadab Khan – 17 wickets and 173 runs (Islamabad United)
Emerging player of the tournament: Hunain Shah – (Hyderabad Kingsmen)
Best fielder of the tournament: Farhan Yousuf – 10 catches (Peshawar Zalmi)
Player of the tournament: Sufyan Moqim (Peshawar Zalmi)
Spirit of cricket award: Hyderabad Kingsmen
Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.