From the likes of Dale Steyn to Darren Sammy and many others, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has seen some of the biggest performers grace the competition with their magic with the ball or bat.
The ninth edition will begin on February 17 in Lahore, with Lahore Qalandars aiming to win their third successive trophy.
With less than 20 days are remaining before the commencement of the league and the excitement among fans increasing with every passing day, let’s take a look at the top five performers in PSL history who led their teams to glory.
Making his debut with Islamabad United in the inaugural edition of the PSL, Babar Azam soon became one of the best performers in the league. The 29-year-old is the top scorer of the league with 2,935 runs to his name, across eight seasons, at an impressive average of 43.80 and 124.48 strike rate.
However, his most notable performance came in PSL 5, when the right-handed batter guided Karachi Kings to their maiden league title. Azam scored 473 runs, which helped him earn the Player of the Tournament. He also contributed a crucial 63 runs in the final against Lahore and steered Karachi to a successful run chase.
Lahore Qalandars’ most trusted and destructive weapon with the bat, Fakhar Zaman is the second-highest run-getter of the PSL. He amassed 2,368 at an astounding 142.30 strike rate and 31.57 average.
The left-handed batter was Lahore’s best performer with the bat when they claimed their first-ever PSL trophy after a six-year wait at the PSL 7 by beating Multan Sultans in the final. Fakhar was the top-scorer of the tournament with 588 runs, which is still the most in a single edition.
He is also the only player in PSL to have hit 100 sixes, the closest to him are Kamran Akmal and Asif Ali with 89 and 88 maximums respectively.
The only player to score three centuries, Kamran Akmal remains one of the best performers to ever play in the PSL as the former wicketkeeper batter propelled Peshawar Zalmi to a title win in 2017. He was also the top-scorer of that edition with 353 runs. In a total of 75 matches he played, Akmal accumulated 1,972 runs at a 27.38 average and 136.94 strike rate.
Shaheen Afridi didn’t feature in the first two editions of the PSL but he did find his way to the top three wickets takers in the tournaments in just 62 matches with 89 scalps to his name. He also holds one of the best bowling figures in the tournament with five wickets off just four runs against Multan Sultans in his debut season.
Besides his heroics with the ball, Shaheen’s most remarkable moment was when he came to bat in the PSL 8 final and smashed a quick 44 off just 15 balls courtesy of five sixes and two fours, etching his name in the history books forever. He also took four wickets on the same night and was ultimately named the Player of the Match.
Regarded as one of the most lethal bowlers, Wahab Riaz did leave his mark in the PSL as he is the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 113 wickets in 88 matches. The closest player to the former Zalmi speedster is Hasan Ali, who has 94 wickets from 72 matches.
Wahab finished as the highest wicket in PSL 3, which Islamabad United won beating Zalmi in the final.
