Kusal Perera, with just four appearances, gets a mention
Danyal Rasool27-May-2025Sahibzada Farhan (Islamabad United)449 runs, 37.41 average, 152.20 strike rate, one hundred, three fifties
Coming off a prolific domestic season, Sahibzada Farhan carried his form into the PSL. A scintillating 52-ball 106 in the second game forewarned of his ascent into one of the league’s elite openers, and he continued that hot streak right through the competition. Three further half-centuries made him the highest run-scorer of the tournament, and gave United devastating power up top.Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars)439 runs, 33.76 average, 152.96 strike rate, four fifties
Injuries, age, discontent, talk of retirement plagued his arrival into the tournament. Vintage Fakhar Zaman came out the other end. Second-highest run-getter in the tournament, his fire-starting was absolutely essential to Qalandars’ triumph (and a reminder to Pakistan of his evergreen value).Related
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Kusal Perera (wk) (Lahore Qalandars)170 runs, 56.66 average, 173.46 strike rate, two fifties
That he makes this list after playing just four games is testament to the outsized impact Kusal Perera had on Qalandars’ title charge. Drafted in as a replacement when the league resumed after a brief suspension, the Sri Lankan played four must-win matches, contributing valuable high-impact runs in each of them. It culminated in a 35-ball 61 in the second qualifier, followed by an unbeaten 31-ball 62 in the final, where he was awarded the Player of the Match as Qalandars lifted the trophy.Hasan Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators)399 runs, 57.00 average, 162.19 strike rate, one hundred, three fifties
Hasan Nawaz was boom or bust in his debut international series against New Zealand, one century complemented by just one run in the other four innings. He found frightening consistency in the second half of the PSL with Gladiators, though, smashing 313 runs in his final five games for just two dismissals. It included an unbeaten 45-ball 100 against United, a last-ball six to ace a chase against Multan Sultans, and a 43-ball 76 in the final.Shadab Khan made an impact with bat and ball•PCBShadab Khan (Islamabad United)173 runs, 24.71 batting average, 155.85 strike rate, 14 wickets, 16.57 bowling average, 7.9 econ
It was an unspectacular, low-profile but high-performance season for the United captain. Shadab Khan will be disappointed with his team tailing off after an electric start but happy that he seems to be returning to more solid form with the ball.Sikandar Raza (Lahore Qalandars)254 runs, 42.33 batting average, 169.33 strike rate, 10 wickets, 17.2 bowling average, 7.75 econ
Another one of Qalandars’ MVPs, Sikandar Raza’s commitment to the campaign was illustrated best by his journey to the final. But he made an all-round impact through the season, in important wins against United, in games against Sultans and, of course, most memorably in the final.Jason Holder (Islamabad United)15 wickets, economy rate 9.36, two four-wicket hauls, 69 runs, batting average 34.50, strike rate 164.28
Perhaps things would have been different for United if Jason Holder had been available for the playoffs, because he was unstoppable for the first two-thirds of the tournament. His ability to take wickets, particularly through the middle and later stages of an innings, proved handy for the defending champions time and again, and he was far and away the leading wicket-taker until the league was suspended.Faheem Ashraf was a late pick in the draft, but showed his worth for Quetta Gladiators•PCBFaheem Ashraf (Quetta Gladiators)17 wickets, economy rate 11.19, one four-wicket haul, one five-wicket haul, 163 runs, strike rate 155.23
Faheem Ashraf’s star appeared to be fading before this tournament, but his late pick at the draft by Gladiators proved a masterstroke. While extremely expensive, his effect on the side was measured in moments, and his knack of taking wickets in clumps put him close to the top of the wickets charts; only Shaheen Shah Afridi took more. Towards the tail-end of the tournament, he’d found his hitting range too, a couple of blistering cameos helping propel Gladiators to the final, where another high-impact knock took them to within touching distance of glory.Shaheen Shah Afridi (capt, Lahore Qalandars)19 wickets, 16.42 average, 7.76 econ
Clutch much? Ten of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 19 season-topping wickets came in the last four games, including breathtaking opening spells back-to-back in the second qualifier and then the final. A third PSL triumph as captain and one knockout retort to the critics and sceptics.Abrar Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators)17 wickets, 19.23 average, 7.34 econ
The league’s best spinner by some distance and one of only two specialist spinners in the top ten wicket-takers. This was arguably the most assured version of Abrar Ahmed we’ve seen. Difficult to get away, never easily read, always a wicket-taking threat.Luke Wood (Peshawar Zalmi)11 wickets, average 18.90, economy rate 7.13
In a phenomenally high-scoring season, Zalmi’s Luke Wood found a way to keep batters on a leash. In all phases of the innings, his canny variations backed up by a truly quick stock delivery, made him devilishly hard to put away. No bowler in the league was more economical, and he often had little support from the other end. In a must-win game against Karachi Kings, Zalmi conceded 237; Wood’s figures read 4-0-19-2.