ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Super League (PSL) gears up for its thrilling 10th season, let’s dive into some of the standout statistics and remarkable records from the league’s first nine seasons.
Batters take centre stage
The PSL was initially characterised by its bowler-centric gameplay, especially during its early days in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, since relocating entirely to Pakistan, batters have emerged as the stars of the show.
In the 124 matches held in the UAE, the average batting strike rate stood at 123.36, which has surged ahead to an impressive 138.79 across 158 matches played in Pakistan.
While the rate of wickets per ball remains fairly consistent—18.21 in the UAE and 18.39 in Pakistan—the average runs per wicket have seen a notable rise from 22.25 to 25.52. Boundary frequency has also skyrocketed, improving from 6.40 balls per boundary to 5.35, and the balls required for each six have decreased from 20.23 to 17.63.
Rawalpindi runs riot
Among all PSL venues, the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium boasts the highest run rate at 9.71 over 25 matches, outpacing the National Stadium in Karachi by a single run.
In the past two seasons alone, Rawalpindi witnessed 16 instances of teams scoring 200 or more runs, with both teams surpassing that mark in seven matches. Notably, four of the top five highest match aggregates in PSL history, including the top three, were recorded in Rawalpindi.
Zalmis: Always in the hunt
Peshawar Zalmi stands out as the only team to have kept their eye on the ball, qualifying for the playoffs in every single season of the PSL.
Although they clinched the title once in 2017, they have made it to the finals on four occasions and have been runners-up three times (2018, 2019, and 2021). The Multan Sultans followed suit, reaching the finals in four distinct seasons—2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Meanwhile, Islamabad United, the league’s most decorated team with three championships, has missed the playoffs only once, in 2020.
Sultans rule at home
The Multan Sultans have established an extraordinary home record at the Multan Cricket Stadium, boasting a win-loss ratio of 5.5—unmatched by any team at any venue in the PSL. Out of 13 matches held there, the Sultans have triumphed in 11, suffering only two narrow defeats by one and five runs, respectively.
Impressively, five of those victories came by blowout margins exceeding 30 runs, with a pair won while chasing down totals with more than five overs remaining. Their batters have averaged 39.36 runs per innings at this venue, scoring at a swift rate of 9.07 runs per over, while their opponents managed just 18.35 runs at 7.89.
The boundary bosses
Luke Ronchi, who last graced the PSL in 2020, distinguished himself by hitting a boundary every 3.7 balls—the best rate among players who have accumulated over 500 runs in the league.
Among active players, Mohammad Haris holds the top spot with a boundary every 3.92 balls. Tim David leads the charge for sixes, achieving the remarkable feat of hitting one every 7.84 balls; he has struck 42 sixes off 337 balls in 22 matches. Asif Ali, the standout for this season, follows closely with an average of 8.53 balls per six, trailing only Fakhar Zaman, who has 104 sixes, with Asif notching 90.
Gladiators: Seeking a comeback
The Quetta Gladiators were on a winning streak in the early years, finishing in the top four for the first four seasons and competing in the finals of the first three editions (2016, 2017, and 2019). By 2019, they had the best win-loss ratio in the league at 1.625, with 26 victories against 16 losses.
However, their fortunes have since taken a nosedive, with a current record of 18 wins and 31 losses, resulting in the league’s poorest win-loss ratio of 0.580. Once dominant with a scoring rate of 7.98 and an economy of 7.66, they now find themselves at the bottom of both metrics, with a run rate of 8.31 and an economy of 9.23. They have only reached the playoffs once in the last five seasons, in 2024.
Shaheen’s first over dominance
Shaheen Shah Afridi has bowled over the competition, etching his name in PSL history, being one of just three bowlers to surpass 100 wickets. However, where he truly shines is in the opening over of each innings, having claimed 19 wickets in that crucial period—seven more than the next best, Hasan Ali.
Recording-breaking tons
Usman Khan of the Sultans was on fire in PSL 2023 with a record-breaking 36-ball century—the fastest in tournament history. He returned in 2024 to achieve back-to-back unbeaten centuries, raising the bar by becoming the first player to score hundreds in consecutive innings.
His three centuries came in just seven innings, an unmatched feat, as no other player has even managed two in that timeframe.
Unexpected bowling feat
Ravi Bopara, primarily known as a batter, has only one five-wicket haul in his extensive 21-year T20 career. Remarkably, he came out swinging to achieve his best bowling figures of 6 for 16 against Lahore Qalandars during the inaugural PSL season in 2016. Since then, while three others have also taken six-wicket hauls, none have bettered Bopara’s remarkable performance.
A powerplay century on the horizon?
To date, no PSL team has hit the century mark within the powerplay. The highest powerplay total remains 97 for no loss, set by Islamabad against the Gladiators in 2021.
They reached the mark in just 6.2 overs and also set the record for the fastest team century in the PSL.
With scoring rates on the rise in recent seasons, the 2025 PSL could finally knock it out of the park, witnessing a team breaking the century mark during the powerplay.
