The eleventh season of the Pakistan Super League delivered a champion nobody had at the top of the pile in years — and a finish dramatic enough to justify the wait.
## Final Recap: Zalmi End a Nine-Year Drought
Peshawar Zalmi beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on May 3, 2026, to win their second PSL title — their first since the tournament’s inaugural 2017 season. A record crowd of 32,461 packed the stadium for the final, which was permitted spectators after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved crowds for the playoffs and final following a largely closed-doors group stage.
## How the Final Unfolded
Batting first, debutant franchise Hyderabad Kingsmen were bowled out for 129 in 18 overs. Saim Ayub top-scored with 54, but Peshawar’s Aaron Hardie was unplayable with the ball, finishing with 4 for 27. Zalmi then chased the target down with 15.2 overs to spare, with Hardie again the standout — an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls that earned him player of the match for a complete all-round performance.
## The Individual Award Winners
– **Player of the Series:** Sufiyan Muqeem — 22 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 14.41, also the tournament’s leading wicket-taker
– **Leading run-scorer:** Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi captain) — 588 runs at an average of 73.50
– **Most fifty-plus scores:** Fakhar Zaman — four half-centuries
Babar Azam’s captaincy return paid off in the biggest way possible, leading his side to the title in front of a home Lahore crowd.
## PSL’s Growing List of Champions
Zalmi’s win means seven different franchises have now shared the league’s eleven titles since 2016, though Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United remain the most successful sides overall with three titles apiece. No team has managed a three-peat, and Lahore remains the only franchise to have defended a title, doing so in 2022 and 2023.
## PSL’s Place in the Global T20 Calendar
PSL’s May finish means it wraps up just before the [IPL season](/ipl-2026-match-schedule-and-fixtures) enters its business end, giving fans a near-continuous run of franchise T20 cricket through spring. For Pakistan specifically, a strong PSL season often carries into the bilateral calendar — though Pakistan’s Test side has struggled in the current [WTC cycle](/icc-test-championship-points-table) despite the PSL’s growing quality and crowds.
Expect PSL 12 planning, including any franchise or venue changes, to begin taking shape later in 2026.