Babar Azam led Peshawar Zalmi to their second PSL title. Image Credit: AFP
PSL 2026 Final: After leading Peshawar Zalmi to the PSL 2026 title, Pakistan’s top batsman Babar Azam made a strong message about his future across formats, both on the field and at the podium. In the final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Peshawar Zalmi defeated Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets to win their first championship since 2017. Babar’s strong position on playing all three formats received just as much attention as the trophy, which put an end to a protracted wait. The Zalmi skipper was asked about his future plans and whether he would now focus on a specific format. His reply created headlines as the 31-year-old confirmed his willingness to play all three formats.
Babar Azam, who led Peshawar Zalmi to only their second title, was ecstatic as he addressed the media after the PSL 2026 final. The right-handed batter, despite getting dismissed on a duck, led his team to victory, and it was his first major title as a skipper in professional cricket. While talking about his future among different formats, Babar provided a crisp response. He said, “Teenon me khelunga, befikre rahiye. Teenon ki taraf hai, aap tension na le..jo aap puchna chah rahe hai (I’ll play all three formats, don’t worry. I’m going to play all three formats, so you don’t need to stress about it… I know what you’re trying to ask).”
Babar further went on to talk about how the final decision of playing all three formats does not lie with the players but the board. He talked about how a player should not limit themselves to a single format and should be open to play all formats and face different challenges. He said, “It’s not for the player to decide (which format to skip); a player’s job is to play. In my opinion, every player should play every form of cricket.” Talking about the importance of playing different formats, Babar said, “Red-ball cricket gives you immense experience. It teaches you how to build an innings and gives you patience. When you play four-day cricket or any domestic circuit, you gain the experience of scoring ‘long’ runs. You should play all three formats because each one helps the other. Red ball helps you in T20s and ODIs.”
Despite his defeat in the championship game, the Peshawar Zalmi captain remained the clear winner of PSL 2026. With an incredible 588 runs, Babar Azam was the season’s top run scorer. Babar, who scored over 73 runs at a strike rate of 145.91, was the driving force behind Zalmi’s ascent to the top of the points table and, eventually, the championship.
After surviving a top-order wobble, Peshawar Zalmi overcame a resolute Hyderabad Kingsmen in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 final on May 3 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie was the driving force, taking four wickets in as many overs to dismiss the Kingsmen for 129. Later, Hardie reached the crease at 7-2 and scored a half-century to help Zalmi win their second championship.
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