LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi’s Aaron Hardy etched his name in history with his all-round performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 final against Hyderabad Kingsmen at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Sunday.
Directly signed by Zalmi ahead of the historic player auction, Hardy managed a tense five-wicket win over Zalmi against a spirited Kingsmen in a thrilling final of the eight-team tournament.
After Zalmi skipper Babar Assam won the toss and elected to field, Hardy led their bowling charge with sensational figures of 4/27 from his four overs, playing a key role in the table-toppers’ book the Kingsmen for 129 in 18 overs.
Set to chase a modest 130-run target, the Kingsmen’s in-form pace attack tore apart Zalmi’s top order and reduced the former champions to 40/4 inside four overs.
But Hardy held firm and eventually guided Zalmi to a five-wicket victory in 28 balls, with an unbeaten half-century, top score of 56 off 39 balls, with 9 fours.
As a result, Hardy became the first player in T20 franchise league history to take a four-wicket haul and the first player to score more than fifty runs in a final.
For his all-round brilliance, the 27-year-old Australian all-rounder was named player of the final in his first PSL season, which he described as “very successful”.
“Yes, it was great. Everyone involved; all the players, coaching staff, owners and directors, my PSL journey couldn’t have started better,” Hardy said in the post-match presentation.
“I’m so grateful to be a part of Zalmi and get to know everyone. We had a lot of fun and, frankly, a really successful season.”