Babar Azam opens up on form struggles after leading Peshawar to first PSL trophy since 2017: 'I tried to...'

Babar Azam has finally won a trophy as captain as he led the Peshawar Zalmi to victory in the Pakistan Super League 2026 final against Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen on Sunday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Babar-led Zalmi chased down a modest target of 130 with 28 balls left to register a five-wicket win over the Kingsmen in the final. This is the first PSL triumph of the Zalmi since 2017 when the franchise won the tournament under the leadership of Caribbean great Darren Sammy.

This is also the first trophy for the 31-year-old as captain and he also seemed to have got back to his best with the bat in the tournament.

Babar talks about finding form

Babar was in phenomenal form in PSL 2026 as he struck two centuries in the league and amassed 588 runs in 11 innings. His strike rate, which has been heavily criticised in recent times, was 145.9. He bagged the Hanif Mohammad Cap for finishing as the leading run-scorer and was also adjudged the best batter of the tournament.

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Talking about his lack of form ahead of the PSL, he said he wanted to change things and gave his best for that.

"My own form, I wanted to get that back. In this PSL, I tried to give my best, and thankfully I could," the Zalmi captain said at the post-match presentation.

The former Pakistan captain also said that winning the PSL was a "very big achievement" for him.

"It's a very big achievement for me and for Peshawar Zalmi and all the fans. Throughout the tournament, we've performed really well as a team. We enjoyed our cricket," said Babar.

"Every player executed the plans they were given in batting, bowling, and fielding. Our plan was to go match by match. Thank god we won today," he added.

After lighting up the entire tournament, Babar fell for a golden duck in the final, giving hopes to the Kingsmen bowlers. In fact, Zalmi were reduced to 40-4 early in their chase but Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie hit an unbeaten half-century to lead the team to victory.