PSL final live: Six wickets crushed for debutants in the Zalmi vs Kingsmen decider

LAHORE: The Hyderabad Kingsmen lost six key wickets from the top-notch through the key middle order players as as Peshawar Zalmi played havoc with the ball in the fielding, leaving the first-time entered side in 73 runs from 7.4 overs.

The young lefty Maaz Sadaqat of whom expectations were high among the dabutants fans in the stadium was allowed to score only 11 featured with a six and a boundary before being hit by the Zalmi seamer Mohammad Basit Ali. This was the first wicket gained by Peshawar Zalmi in the second over of the Zalmi vs Kingsmen PSL final tonight.

Peshawar Zalmi decided to field first after winning the toss for the highly anticipated Pakistan Super League final match taking place between Zalmi and Hyderabad Kingsmen here at the Gadaffi Stadium tonight.

Hyderabad Kingsmen will be looking to conclude their fairytale season with the PSL title, while Peshawar Zalmi are eyeing their second title after 2017. Zalmi were runners-up in the 2018, 2019 and 2021 seasons.

On the back of Babar Azam’s record 588-run tally, Kusal Mendis’ 541 runs and Sufyan Moqim’s 21 wickets, Peshawar Zalmi won eight of their 10 matches in the league stage, including a seven-match winning streak.

They outclassed Islamabad United by 70 runs in the Qualifier to secure a spot in the final. Fast bowler Nahid Rana has also rejoined the squad and will be available for selection after picking up seven wickets in four league matches.

Hyderabad Kingsmen, meanwhile, had a difficult start to their campaign with three consecutive defeats against Qalandars, Gladiators and Sultans. Their fourth straight loss came against Zalmi in a last-ball thriller, where Zalmi chased a 146-run target with four wickets in hand.

However, Kingsmen bounced back strongly with four wins in a row before suffering a setback against Islamabad United. They then thumped Rawalpindi by 108 runs in their final league match to eliminate defending champions Lahore Qalandars on net run rate.

Kingsmen went on to knock out Multan Sultans in Eliminator 1 and staged a dramatic comeback to beat Islamabad United by two runs in Eliminator 2.

At the pre-final captains’ press conference, Babar Azam said his side had played consistent cricket throughout the tournament, stressing the importance of reading conditions and executing plans effectively.

“The performance of our team this season has been a combined effort of local and overseas players. We hope to win the trophy by giving our best,” he said.

Kingsmen skipper Marnus Labuschagne said leading the side had been an exciting experience, adding that ups and downs were part of the game.

“It’s just another game and we will make sure that we stick to our processes,” he said.

Playing XIs

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis (wk), Farhan Yousuf, Michael Bracewell, Aaron Hardie, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Nahid Rana, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Basit.

Hyderabad Kingsmen: Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (c), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan (wk), Kusal Perera, Glenn Maxwell, Irfan Niazi, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed.