PSL 10 Final to Decide Race for Green and Maroon Caps at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium

KEY POINTS

• Fakhar Zaman needs just 21 runs in PSL 10 final to surpass Sahibzada Farhan
• Abdullah Shafique (349 runs) and Hasan Nawaz (323 runs) also remain in contention for the Green Cap
• The race for the Fazal Mahmood Cap is wide open with Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf (all 16 wickets), and Haris Rauf (15) eyeing the top spot
• Both the Green and Maroon Caps – symbols of batting and bowling excellence in PSL will be contested in Sunday’s final at Qaddafi Stadium

 ISLAMABAD: The final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 10 will not only crown the champion team on May 25 at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium but also determine the winners of the prestigious Green and Maroon Caps.

The high-octane final clash will be played between Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalandars on Sunday. Key players from both sides are in contention for the top run-scorer (Hanif Mohammad Award) and leading wicket-taker (Fazal Mahmood Award) honours.

With Islamabad United bowing out of the tournament in the playoffs, their star batter Sahibzada Farhan still tops the run-scoring charts with 449 runs.

Top run scorers

But his hold on the Green Cap is tenuous at best, as Lahore Qalandars’ veteran opener Fakhar Zaman, with 428 runs, is just 21 runs shy of overtaking him.

Fakhar’s return to form has electrified Qalandars’ campaign, and with a final to play in front of a home crowd, the left-hander will not only aim to guide his team to their third PSL title but also reclaim the cap he last wore in 2022 — the year he set the still-standing season record of 588 runs.

However, Fakhar isn’t the only contender in the mix. Two more batters, both featuring in Sunday’s final, are in striking distance of a late surge toward the top.

Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar’s teammate and the anchor of Qalandars’ top order, sits with 349 runs. A big innings from him — say, a match-winning century — could spring a surprise.

On the other side of the pitch, Hasan Nawaz, the Gladiators’ breakout young talent, has piled up 323 runs this season. Known for his explosive starts, a swashbuckling hundred under the lights of Qaddafi could see him leapfrog everyone.

The PSL’s leading run-scorer each season is awarded the Green Cap along with the Hanif Mohammad Award, a tribute to Pakistan’s first great batter and a symbol of consistent excellence.

The list of previous winners reads like a who’s who of Pakistan cricket: Kamran Akmal (2017), Luke Ronchi (2018), Shane Watson (2019), Babar Azam (2020, 2021, 2024), Fakhar Zaman (2022) and Mohammad Rizwan (2023).

Top wicket-takers

Similarly, a fierce contest to be brewed in the final of PSL among bowlers for the Maroon Cap named Fazal Mahmood Award, handed each year to the league’s top wicket-taker.

With Karachi Kings eliminated, their pace duo Hasan Ali and Abbas Afridi, who both claimed 17 wickets this season, can only watch from the sidelines and hope their tally holds.

But the final offers ample opportunity for others to surpass them — and three major contenders will be taking the field.

Leading the charge is Shaheen Shah Afridi, the talismanic captain of Lahore Qalandars, who currently sits on 16 wickets. Known for delivering under pressure, Shaheen has the perfect stage at Qaddafi Stadium, with a raucous home crowd behind him, to claim the cap he previously won in 2020 and 2022.

But he isn’t alone. Quetta Gladiators’ spin magician Abrar Ahmed and seasoned all-rounder Faheem Ashraf are also locked at 16 wickets.

A strong outing in the final could see either of them snatch the honour, and for Faheem, it would be a return to glory after he first won the cap in 2018.

Yet, there’s a wildcard. Shaheen’s teammate, the fiery Haris Rauf, has 15 wickets to his name. Known for his death-over heroics, a late burst could propel him into the top spot — especially if the Gladiators crumble under pressure.

Since 2017, the PSL has honored its best bowler with the Maroon Cap- Fazal Mahmood Award, named after Pakistan’s pioneering fast bowler.

Past winners include Sohail Khan (2017), Hassan Ali (2019), Shahnawaz Dahani (2021) and Usama Mir (2024). Hassan Ali’s 2019 haul of 25 wickets remains the gold standard.