PSL 2026 Final: With a look of pleasure on his face, Babar Azam finally relished his breakout moment as captain. In the PSL 11 final at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, Peshawar Zalmi defeated Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets to end their protracted title drought. Mohsin Naqvi then gave them the trophy. With this victory, Zalmi won their first league championship since 2017 and their second overall. This was Babar’s first prize as a leader, which made it very significant even though he had already experienced PSL triumph twice. However, as Babar and his team were gearing up to lift the trophy, it turned into a hilarious moment. The Zalmi skipper and Iftikhar Ahmed failed to copy Rohit Sharma’s iconic T20 World Cup 2024 celebration.
Aaron Hardie, who was instrumental with both the bat and the ball, won the championship. With figures of 4 for 27, he disrupted Hyderabad’s batting and limited them to 129 in 18 overs. Hyderabad’s chances were harmed by frequent wickets despite Saim Ayub’s valiant 54.
PSL 2026 Final: Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed trolled for trophy celebration
Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed tried to copy Rohit Sharma’s iconic celebration but failed disastrously 😭🤣
Just look at Iftikhar Ahmed bro tried his best but failed badly 😂 pic.twitter.com/uPZvlnEANJ
— Rohan💫 (@rohann__45) May 4, 2026
Babar Azam looked overjoyed as the right-handed batter won his first major title as a captain. Despite winning the title twice as a player, it is this victory of Babar that gave him a lot of joy. Meanwhile, as he was going to lift the trophy, his attempted celebration looked a bit like a copy of Rohit Sharma from the 2024 T20 World Cup. Along with Babar, Iftikhar Ahmed, who is also one of the most senior players in the Pakistan Super League, was looking to celebrate in a similar manner as Rohit did in the T20 World Cup 2024.
PSL 2026 Final: Peshawar Zalmi crowned champions against Hyderabad Kingsmen
At the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on May 3, Peshawar Zalmi defeated a determined Hyderabad Kingsmen in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 final after overcoming a top-order wobble. With four wickets in as many overs to bowl out the Kingsmen for 129, Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie proved to be the driving force. Later, Zalmi won their second championship thanks to a half-century from Hardie, who arrived at the crease at 7-2.
PSL 2026 Final: How did Babar Azam perform for Peshawar Zalmi in the season?
The Peshawar Zalmi skipper may have flopped in the final, but he was the undisputed king of PSL 2026. Babar Azam was the highest run-getter of the season with a massive 588 runs. Babar’s consistency was the backbone of Zalmi’s march to the top of the points table and ultimately the championship glory as he scored over 73 runs at a strike rate of 145.91.
