Babar Azam Leads Peshawar Zalmi to Second PSL Title, Ends Captaincy Trophy Drought

NEW DELHI: Babar Azam led Peshawar Zalmi to a Pakistan Super League title, defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final at Gaddafi Stadium. The triumph marked Babar's maiden T20 trophy as captain, sparking scenes of jubilation, cheers, and high emotion across the venue before a light-hearted moment stole the spotlight. During the post-match celebrations, Babar and teammate Iftikhar Ahmed attempted to recreate Rohit Sharma's iconic walk from India's ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 victory celebrations. However, the imitation didn't quite come off, and the awkward attempt quickly turned into a viral meme among fans. As Babar walked up to receive the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, many noticed the resemblance to Rohit's celebratory stride, while Iftikhar and others joined in—only for the act to fall flat. Clips of the moment soon flooded social media, drawing widespread reactions. The victory marked Zalmi's second PSL title and their first since 2017. While Babar had previously been part of PSL-winning squads, this was his first triumph as captain. All-rounder Aaron Hardie was the standout performer in the final. He starred with the ball, picking up 4 for 27 to help bowl Hyderabad Kingsmen out for 129 in 18 overs. He then capped off a brilliant performance with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 56 as Zalmi chased down the target in just 15.2 overs to seal a dominant win. Despite a rare failure in the final—falling for a golden duck—Babar finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer. Across 11 matches, he amassed 588 runs at an impressive average of 73.50, including three fifties and two centuries, striking at 145.90.