Hyderabad vs Peshawar Live: Kingsmen Got Out for 129 in PSL Final

LAHORE: A heroic lone effort by Saim Ayub, who struck a resilient 54 off 50 balls, wasn't enough to prevent a middle-order meltdown. Hyderabad Kingsmen bundled out for a disappointing 129 in the HBL PSL 2026 final at the Gaddafi Stadium.

After being put into bat by Babar Azam, the Kingsmen's debut final appearance began with high-octane drama. They blazed to 69/2 in the powerplay, but the momentum shifted violently when Peshawar Zalmi’s Aaron Hardie was introduced into the attack. Hardie produced a career-defining performance on the grandest stage, dismantling the Hyderabad batting lineup with clinical precision to finish with magnificent figures of 4/27 in his four overs.

While wickets tumbled with alarming regularity at the other end, Saim Ayub stood as the solitary pillar of resistance for the Kingsmen. His gritty half-century, featuring five boundaries and two sixes, provided the backbone for the innings, but he eventually fell victim to Hardie’s relentless pressure in the 18th over. The collapse was so severe that outside of Ayub and a brisk 20 from captain Marnus Labuschagne, the Kingsmen failed to forge any significant partnerships.

Peshawar’s tactical brilliance was further bolstered by Nahid Rana, who returned to the side with a point to prove, taking 2/22 in his four-over spell. His express pace accounted for the dangerous Glenn Maxwell for a golden duck, a blow from which the Kingsmen never truly recovered. Sufiyan Muqeem and Mohammad Basit Ali also chipped in with a wicket apiece, ensuring that the pressure remained unrelenting from both ends throughout the innings.

The Kingsmen were eventually dismissed for 129 with two overs to spare, leaving their bowlers with a Herculean task to defend the total. Peshawar Zalmi now heads into the break needing just 130 runs at 6.50 per over to secure their second PSL title. 

The focus now shifts to whether the Hyderabad bowling unit can replicate their season's fighting spirit to defend what appears to be a sub-par total in the Lahore cauldron.

Watch Hyderabad Kingsmen vs Peshawar Zalmi live on tapmad.