Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and decided to field first in the high-octane final of the 11th season of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) against tournament debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen in Lahore on Sunday.
Peshawar Zalmi, who entered the final after crushing three-time champions Islamabad United by 70 runs in the first playoff match, are on a run for their second title. They last lifted the trophy in 2017, when they defeated Quetta Gladiators in the final.
Throughout PSL 11, Babar Azam-led Zalmi registered eight victories and just a single defeat, to the Gladiators, sealing the top spot in the points table.
Meanwhile, Kingsmen — one of the two new franchises added to the PSL circuit in this edition — secured a stunning 2-run victory over Islamabad United in the make-or-break eliminator on Friday to book a place in the final.
Led by Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne, Kingsmen had a rough start to the campaign, losing five games in a row before getting back on track to win the next five fixtures and qualify for the playoffs.
Babar, in his pre-match media conference on Saturday, indicated that his side would try to keep the winning formula intact.
“So far, our journey in this edition has been quite nice. Our strategy is paying off, so we will try to apply it in the final, too,” Babar said.
“Momentum is always important for a team to win and it is good that our momentum has been there from the very beginning,” Babar, the leading scorer of this year’s PSL with 588 runs, added.
According to Babar, there was no room for his team to show complacency against Kingsmen.
Speaking at his presser, Labuschagne said that remaining firm with the procedure will be important for Kingsmen in the high-pressure decider.
“For us, it is important to control the situation and make sure we stick to our process of plans and the rest will take care of itself. It is going to be a great occasion, a great moment,” the skipper told reporters.
Labuschagne acknowledged that Zalmi proved themselves tough opponents.
“We obviously know they have been an in-form side for the whole tournament. We have played one game against them and it was really a tight game,” he said.
“You know, some upsets have certainly lit up this tournament and it has certainly been exciting [both] as a player and as a viewer. And tomorrow is just another game and we have just got to make sure that we stick to the process,” he reiterated.
Asked what the secret behind their turnaround was, Labuschagne termed self-belief and confidence as the crucial factors.
“I think [self] belief and confidence are two really big factors in any team. And when you create that in a team, you can earn achievements. I think that’s what really instils in the team. And I think that’s what’s really important.”
