In the Pakistan Super League (PSL), all-rounders often turn the tide of matches with their dual skills. Highlighting the top 5, this piece explores players who excel in batting and bowling, underscoring their pivotal roles. As the PSL approaches in February 2024, anticipation among fans builds, marking another season of this celebrated cricket event.
5 Best All-Rounders in PSL History
Look into these all-time best all-rounders in the PSL history:
| Rank | Player | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | Most Runs Match | Most Wickets Match | MVP Awards | Titles Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shoaib Malik (Karachi Kings) | 2422 | 89 | 34.97 | 8.22 | 146.57 | 126* | 5/22 | 5 | 2 |
| 2 | Imad Wasim (Islamabad United) | 1847 | 114 | 25.73 | 7.60 | 169.12 | 80 | 5/14 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | Mohammad Nawaz (Multan Sultans) | 1548 | 54 | 23.48 | 8.48 | 164.85 | 83 | 4/20 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Shadab Khan (Islamabad United) | 1380 | 84 | 23.00 | 8.01 | 172.29 | 94 | 4/17 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Ben Cutting (Peshawar Zalmi) | 941 | 77 | 25.72 | 8.81 | 162.58 | 107* | 5/19 | 1 | 1 |
Shahid Afridi
One of the finest, most desired cricketers known worldwide, Shahid Afridi, needs no introduction. For most of his life, he has contributed to cricket playing nationally and internationally for Pakistan. PSL has just added sparkling achievement to his cricket career.
His fans know him as an exceptional all-rounder. Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi is a Pakistani right handed batsmen, a legbreak googly bowler and an allrounder. He can still turn the heads of the audience when he performs. He can change the game by blinking his eyes and is one of the highest-paid PSL cricketers.
Shahid Afridi’s PSL career started as a captain and icon player of Peshawar Zalmi. He played for Peshawar Zalmi for two years and then joined another franchise. So far, he has played all the seasons of the Pakistan Super League and represented four teams in different seasons of PSL.
- Peshawar Zalmi (2016 – 2017)
- Karachi Kings (2018)
- Multan Sultans (2019-2021)
- Quetta Gladiators (2022)
Afridi only managed 52 runs in the last edition of the league, but his bowling is still going strong. Boom Boom picked up ten wickets in PSL 2019 at an average of 17.30 and an economy of 6. 74
Afridi boasts a PSL career strike rate of 155 and can be used as a pinch hitter. With the ball, he has picked up 35 wickets from 27 PSL games at an average of 21.65 and an economy of 8.50, including best match figures of 4/15.
Kieron Pollard
A right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium bowler Kieron Pollard has proved to be a gem for PSL. His power-packed performance has glorified his PSL stats. Kieron Pollard has represented three PSL franchises, including Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, and Peshawar Zalmi, from 2017-2019.
He comes to the cricket world’s forefront as an extraordinary all-rounder for Peshawar Zalmi as he turned the game in his team’s favor with his aggressive batting and impressive bowling.
West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard is the third player with the most catches in PSL matches from 2017 to 2019. Pollard has taken twenty-four successful catches in thirty-two PSL matches as a fielder. He will always be remembered as the first international player of PSL to have taken these many catches.
Pollard picked up only five wickets in the last PSL edition but bowled at an acceptable economy of under 8. He has picked up ten wickets in all in his PSL career. With his aggressive batting, he has piled up 650 runs from 30 innings at an average of 32.50 and a strike rate of 165+.
In the last edition, the West Indian scored his runs at an average of close to 30 and a strike rate of almost 175, with two half-centuries. Due to a few fitness issues, Pollard stopped bowling but is an excellent player; a good team can have
Imad Wasim
Imad Wasim is a game changer. He can turn the fate of his team towards winning. He is the foremost finisher in Pakistan’s white-ball setup at the moment. His specialty with the ball is bowling in the powerplay, where he is on point most of the time and hardly allows the batters to take him downtown due to his accurate length.
Wasim may not have a lot of variations, but his quicker delivery skids off the surface and gets him wickets in the form of bowled or lbw. He is an all-rounder who plays from all dimensions and prevails over the opposing team. He plays in an impressive style of being a left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler.
Imad Wasim is an International Pakistani player who plays for the Karachi Kings. He captained the Karachi team for three years. With his all-rounder capability, he takes seven wickets with his bowling line in 11 innings.
He bowled with an economy of 7.06 & 32.14 on average. He scored his best 158 runs with a strike rate of 133.89. In his PSL career, he scored 473 runs in 40 innings. Imad contributes his talent in both parts of cricket.
Mohammad Nawaz
PSL has brought many finest players to the cricket world who have made their name with their signature performances. One of the best all-rounders of Pakistan and PSL, Muhammad Nawaz, has always helped his team with the bat and ball and takes brilliant catches as a fielder. He is a left-handed batsman and a left-arm orthodox bowler.
Muhammad Nawaz started his PSL career with the Quetta Gladiators in 2016. He knows how to hit the ball to score the most runs and tackle the ball for bowling. From 2016-2021, Muhammad Nawaz limits the batter’s batting by taking thirty-two catches in sixty-one innings for Quetta Gladiators topping the list in holding the record for most catches in PSL.
In his whole career at PSL, he has taken 50 wickets in 57 matches. He scored 521 runs in 41 innings, and 42 is his best score of the individual inning. In his overall career in PSL, Nawaz plays with the brilliant capability of both batting & bowling.
Shadab Khan
Shadab Khan is our next pick from the Top 5 All-Rounders in PSL History. A player who works hard to grow his cricket skills is none other than Shadab Khan. He is one of the essential players of the Pakistan Cricket team and has emerged as an all-rounder while playing in the Pakistan Super League.
Islamabad United is blessed to have Shadab Khan as its player, who holds excellent records. In the 2022 edition, he led the team as a captain. Shadab Khan is a good skipper for the Islamabad team & also considered an icon player.
In his all-season career, he scored 470 runs in 36 innings with a 132.39 strike rate. And made three half-centuries & took a total of 39 wickets. He takes his best three wickets on 13 runs.
PSL All Teams Best All-Rounders
PSL has some sparkling players who have been ranked as the best all-rounders. All these players have contributed to the glory and success of PSL throughout all these years. Some of the best all-rounders of each team are mentioned below.
Peshawar Zalmi Team All-Rounder
- Darren Sammy
- Hammad Azam
- Wahab Riaz
Multan Sultans All-Rounders
- Sohail Tanvir
- Shoaib Malik
- Kieron Pollard
Islamabad United All-Rounders
- Andre Russell
- Fahim ashraf
- Shadab Khan
Quetta Gladiators All-Rounder
- Umer Amin
- Muhammad Nawaz
- Shane Watson
Karachi Kings All-Rounders
- Shahid Afridi
- Imad Wasim
- Thisara Perera
Lahore Qalandars All-Rounders
- Bilawal Bhatti
- Sunil Narayan
- Amer Yamin
What is the lowest total in PSL history?
In the runs chase or while batting to set the target, sometimes fate declares the total scores a team would make. The audience has witnessed many lowest totals a team has made as their total score. Here is a list of the lowest total in PSL history.
| Teams | No of Innings | Total | Opponent Teams | Season |
| Lahore Qalandars | 1 | 59 | Peshawar Zalmi | 2017 |
| Quetta Gladiators | 2 | 73 | Multan Sultans | 2021 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 1 | 78 | Peshawar Zalmi | 2019 |
| Islamabad United | 2 | 82 | Karachi Kings | 2017 |
| Lahore Qalandars | 2 | 89 | Multan Sultans | 2021 |
What is the highest total in PSL History?
PSL is full of surprises, excitement, and thrill. In a match, every spectator’s eyes are on the scorecard. Every team aims at giving the highest run target to the opponent team or the second team tries to chase the highest target with full potential. Here is a list of the Highest total in PSL history.
| Team | Innings | Total | Opponent Team | Season |
| Islamabad United | 1 | 247/2 | Peshawar Zalmi | 2021 |
| Multan Sultans | 1 | 245/3 | Quetta Gladiators | 2022 |
| Islamabad United | 1 | 238/3 | Lahore Qalandars | 2019 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 2 | 232/6 | Islamabad United | 2021 |
| Islamabad United | 1 | 229/4 | Quetta Gladiators | 2022 |
Who has taken the most wickets in PSL history?
Many bowlers and batters in PSL have performed so well, and they have named the title, which leads to their success as the best players of PSL. Here is a list of the players who have taken the most wickets in PSL.
| Bowler Name | Team Played for | Total Matches | Innings | Wickets | Best Stats | Time |
| Wahab Riaz | PZ | 77 | 76 | 103 | 4-17 | 2016–2022 |
| Hasan Ali | PZ, IU | 64 | 63 | 81 | 4-15 | 2016-2022 |
| Shaheen Afridi | LQ | 49 | 49 | 67 | 5-4 | 2018–2022 |
| Shadab Khan | IU | 61 | 60 | 65 | 5-28 | 2018–2022 |
| Faheem Ashraf | IU | 49 | 49 | 64 | 6-19 | 2017–2022 |
Summary
The PSL highlights how cricket is growing, with all-rounders playing key roles. This league brings out the best in players, encouraging teamwork and competition. As teams fight for the top prize, the PSL keeps exciting fans and making new cricket stars.
Roy Tipu is a cricket enthusiast and one of the founders of Crickist, a website that covers the latest news, analysis, and opinions on cricket. He is passionate about the sport and has been following it since his childhood. He has played cricket at various levels, from school to club, and has a wealth of personal experience and knowledge on the game.
As the content manager of Crickist, Roy Tipu oversees all aspects of content creation and distribution. He plans, executes, and monitors the content strategy and social media presence of the website. He also writes articles, reviews, and editorials on various topics related to cricket, such as players, teams, tournaments, records, and controversies. He is known for his insightful and engaging style of writing, which attracts and retains a loyal audience of cricket fans.
Roy Tipu has a degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Punjab. He has also completed several courses and certifications on digital marketing, SEO, and content writing. He has worked as a freelance writer and editor for several cricket websites and magazines before launching Crickist with his partners in 2022.
Roy Tipu is based in Lahore, Pakistan, where he lives with his wife and two children. He enjoys watching and playing cricket, reading books, and traveling in his spare time. He is also active on social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where he shares his views and interacts with his followers.