Pakistan Super League Finals: The best moments from down the years

Ahead of the climax to the seventh edition of the PSL, CIARAN MCCARTHY picks out an outstanding moment from each of the previous six finals

PSL 1- Smith and Haddin take the Gladiators apart

Islamabad United top-order batters Dwayne Smith and Brad Haddin set about dismantling Quetta Gladiators’ attack as they cruised to victory in the first final in the competition's history.

Chasing a score of 174 set by Quetta, Smith and Haddin clobbered the ball to all parts en route to securing a maiden PSL triumph.

Smith (73 from 51) and Haddin (61 from 39) both made half-centuries during their 85-run partnership.

The pair pummelled nine maximums between them, and despite Smith being dismissed in the 16th over attempting one more, Haddin continued to wreak havoc on the Quetta bowling attack to polish the game off before the last over.

PSL 2 - Sammy galvanises Zalmi

Daren Sammy’s flashbang innings helped a struggling Peshawar Zalmi side to a total of 148.

The West Indian allrounder hadn't faced a ball when Zalmi were reduced to 112 for 6 having lost Mohammad Hafeez and Iftikhar Ahmed in consecutive balls in the 17th over bowled by Rayad Emrit.

Sammy smashed three sixes, including two from the final over of the innings, to help his side set a target of 149. His quickfire 28 not out came from 11 deliveries, a strike rate of 254.54.

Peshawar’s bowlers then backed up their skipper - who earned man of the match - as they skittled Quetta Gladiators for just 90.

^{Dwayne Smith (AFP/Getty Images)}

PSL 3 - Ronchi’s blistering half-century

Luke Ronchi smashed a superb fifty to aid Islamabad United’s chase in 2018.

Ronchi exploded out of the blocks for United in response to Peshawar Zalmi’s 148 for 9.

The Kiwi batter smashed two maximums in the first over, and never really took his foot off the gas, hitting a further three over the course of his innings as United go ahead of the rate and ultimately complete the chase with 19 balls to spare.

He went to his fifth half-century in PSL 3, ending with 52 from 26 balls to collect the player of the match and player of the tournament awards.

PSL 4 - Teenage Hasnain serves notice

Mohammad Hasnain truly unveiled himself to the world during PSL 4 and underlined his emergence with 3 for 30 in the final.

The 17-year-old took the important wickets of opener Imam-ul-Haq, Umar Amin and Kieron Pollard.

Indeed, the only blotch on his copybook came when he shipped 13 runs in his final over.

The player of the match performance was the icing on the cake of a tremendous season for Hasnain, in which he took 12 wickets in seven games and he was rewarded with an ODI debut for Pakistan later that month.

^{Rilee Rosouw (Getty Images)}

PSL 5 - Babar Azam guides Karachi Kings home

Babar Azam has become well known for his composed approach to T20 cricket, and that was no different in the PSL 5 final.

The Karachi Kings skipper walked out to open the batting after his side were set a mediocre 134 by Lahore Qalandars.

He set the tone with a couple of textbook cover drives against his Pakistan teammate Shaheen Shah Afridi in the opening over, and was composure personified throughout the entire innings, despite five of his teammates falling around him.

Babar finished with 63 not out from 49 balls, and fittingly, he was in the middle when the winning runs were hit with eight balls remaining.

PSL 6 - A complete batting performance by Multan Sultans

The PSL 6 final showcased the sheer quality of the Multan Sultans’ top-order batters when they set a mammoth target of 207.

Openers Shan Masood (37 from 29) and Mohammad Rizwan (30 from 30) set the tone for the innings, before Sohaib Maqsood and Rilee Rossouw set about taking the Peshawar Zalmi bowlers to pieces.

The pair shared a 98-run partnership, in which Maqsood hit an unbeaten 65 from 35 and Rossouw smashed 50 in 21 deliveries.

They crashed six sixes between them and helped the Sultans to an untouchable total of 206 for 4, which Zalmi ultimately fell 47 runs short of.