Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam added another milestone to his career by joining the exclusive list of captains who have won a Pakistan Super League (PSL) title.
Babar, who began his PSL captaincy journey in 2022 with Karachi Kings, secured his first title as captain after leading Peshawar Zalmi to their second championship.
The victory ended a nine-year title drought for Zalmi, whose last triumph came in 2017 under West Indies great Darren Sammy.
With this achievement, Babar became only the second Zalmi captain to win a PSL title and the ninth captain overall to do so. He now joins notable names such as Sarfaraz Ahmed and Misbah-ul-Haq. Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi tops the list with three PSL titles as captain.
| Captain | Team | PSL Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Lahore Qalandars | 3 |
| Misbah-ul-Haq | Islamabad United | 1 |
| Darren Sammy | Peshawar Zalmi | 1 |
| JP Duminy | Islamabad United | 1 |
| Sarfaraz Ahmed | Quetta Gladiators | 1 |
| Imad Wasim | Karachi Kings | 1 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Multan Sultans | 1 |
| Shadab Khan | Islamabad United | 1 |
| Babar Azam | Peshawar Zalmi | 1 |
It is worth noting that Peshawar Zalmi defeated the spirited Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in an exciting final at Gaddafi Stadium.
After winning the toss, Babar chose to field first, a decision that proved effective. The Kingsmen were bowled out for a modest total of 129 in 18 overs, despite a determined half-century from Saim Ayub.
The left-handed batter fought alone for his side, scoring 54 runs off 50 balls, including five fours and two sixes.
In response, Pehawar Zalmi chased down the 130-run target with five wickets lost and 28 balls remaining. The victory was driven by an 85-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Aaron Hardie and Abdul Samad.
The pair stabilized the innings after Zalmi were struggling at 40-4. Samad scored 48 off 34 balls before being dismissed, while Hardie remained unbeaten with 56 off 39 deliveries, hitting nine boundaries.
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