Asked to bat first, Hyderabad were bowled out for 129, thanks to a superb spell from Aaron Hardie (4/27) and good support from Nahid Rana (2/22).
Chasing a modest target in front of a packed crowd, Zalmi completed the job in 15.2 overs to clinch the title.
While Babar achieved a major milestone as captain, he endured disappointment with the bat, falling for a golden duck. Mohammad Ali bowled a wide delivery that moved away sharply, and Babar edged a loose shot to the wicketkeeper.
After the match, a video featuring former Pakistan cricketers went viral. When asked about Babar’s dismissal, Ahmed Shehzad said: “Arre dafa karo. Duck pe to badi dafe out hua hai. Lekin mubarak ho Babar Azam ko. Aaj usne apni pehli trophy jeeti hai. Ye important hai. Come on, boys.”
Rashid Latif, who was also present, added: “Mubarak Babar Azam. Paan ka swaad aa gya aaj.”
Despite the failure in the final, Babar finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer.
He played 11 matches, scoring 588 runs at an outstanding average of 73.50, including three fifties and two centuries, at a strike rate of 145.90.
Most Runs – Pakistan Super League 2026
| Player | Team | Matches | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babar Azam | Peshawar Zalmi | 11 | 588 | 103 | 73.50 | 145.90 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 60 | 15 |
| Kusal Mendis | Peshawar Zalmi | 11 | 550 | 109 | 55.00 | 168.19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 52 | 23 |
| Fakhar Zaman | Lahore Qalandars | 8 | 401 | 103 | 57.28 | 151.89 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 48 | 12 |
| Usman Khan | Hyderabad Kingsmen | 13 | 389 | 101 | 35.36 | 162.76 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 36 | 22 |
| Sahibzada Farhan | Multan Sultans | 10 | 380 | 106* | 42.22 | 166.66 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 23 |
| Steve Smith | Multan Sultans | 11 | 380 | 106 | 34.54 | 161.70 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 18 |
| Shan Masood | Multan Sultans | 11 | 367 | 69* | 45.87 | 158.18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 15 |
| Sameer Minhas | Islamabad United | 11 | 349 | 82* | 38.77 | 155.80 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 13 |
| Marnus Labuschagne | Hyderabad Kingsmen | 13 | 344 | 61* | 28.66 | 130.30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 4 |
| Rilee Rossouw | Quetta Gladiators | 9 | 317 | 90 | 39.62 | 142.79 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 31 | 14 |