Babar Azam has finally broken his captaincy duck—but not in the way he would have hoped in the final. The star batsman led Peshawar Zalmi to their maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) title, defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in a thrilling final at the Gaddafi Stadium. However, his personal contribution with the bat was a forgettable golden duck, falling to a sharp delivery from Mohammad Ali that he edged to the wicketkeeper.

Despite that early dismissal, the tournament was a resounding success for Azam. He finished as the leading run-scorer with 588 runs from 11 matches at a stunning average of 73.50, including three half-centuries and two centuries, all at a strike rate of 145.90. It's a performance that underscores his class, even if the final didn't go his way.

The match itself was a showcase of Zalmi's bowling depth. Aaron Hardie starred with figures of 4/27, while Nahid Rana chipped in with 2/22 to bowl Hyderabad out for just 129. Chasing a modest target in front of a packed crowd, Zalmi reached it with 15.2 overs to spare, sparking wild celebrations.

After the match, a video of former Pakistan cricketers went viral, with Ahmed Shehzad offering a lighthearted take on Azam's duck: "Arre dafa karo... duck pe to badi dafe out hua hai. Lekin mubarak ho Babar Azam ko. Aaj usne apni pehli trophy jeeti hai. Ye important hai. Come on, boys." Rashid Latif added with a smile: "Mubarak Babar Azam. Paan ka swaad aa gya aaj." It was a moment of camaraderie that captured the spirit of the occasion—a captain finally tasting silverware, even if his bat had other ideas in the final.