BY the end of it all, in front of fans who had been absent for almost the entire 11th season of the Pakistan Super League — a national obsession — Babar Azam won his first-ever Twenty20 title as captain. Thus ended an agonisingly long wait for the country’s biggest cricketing superstar in a season in which he redefined his batting. That form and the ensuing flow of runs allayed concerns and dismissed questions about whether Babar was past his prime in the sport’s fastest format. Not only was the PSL edition indicative of Babar’s revival, it also revived hopes for Pakistan cricket. After a dismal World Twenty20 campaign, in which Pakistan crashed out in the Super Eight stage, the PSL has thrust into the spotlight the stars of the future — most notably Hunain Shah, whose inspired bowling led the Hyderabad Kingsmen to the final in their debut campaign. The Kingsmen made history in their run to the showpiece, becoming the first team to make it that far after losing their first four matches of the season. In the final, however, they were eventually put away by Zalmi thanks to a superb batting show by Aaron Hardie, who had earlier picked up four wickets.

The final was also a celebration of Pakistan cricket and what it means to the fans. The season — the first with an expanded line-up of eight teams — had started with nationwide austerity measures in place due to the war in Iran and saw matches being played behind closed doors. But fans were welcomed back for the playoffs stage and were treated to some thrilling matches. Their passion was hailed by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who vowed that the next edition of the country’s biggest sporting extravaganza would be ‘bigger and better’, with more venues than ever. The hope is that this PSL and the ones that follow see Pakistan regain their lost footing in world cricket.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2026