A statistical overview of all PSL seasons

LAHORE: As the Fifth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) got underway Thursday night amid a lot of fervour and zeal, the “Jang Group and Geo Television Network” undertook an interesting research only to find out that franchise “Quetta Gladiators” had emerged victorious in 26 of their 43 matches before the opening fixture of 2020, hence registering the highest success rate of 61.90 per cent.

The “Quetta Gladiators,” whose media partner happens to be the “Jang Group,” had lost 16 times prior to the PSL 2020 inaugural match. The “Peshawar Zalmi” franchise have returned triumphant in 27 of their 47 outings till date, giving them a success rate of 58.69 per cent. They have lost 19 times. Basically, “Peshawar Zalmi” have won a match more than “Quetta Gladiators,” but their success rate is lower. The “Islamabad United” have won 25 of their 44 fixtures, hence registering a success rate of 57.95 per cent. This franchise has lost 18 times in the field.

The “Karachi Kings” had won 17 of their 42 matches, hence recording a success rate of 42.68 per cent. They have lost 23 matches.

The “Lahore Qalandars” have just been able to trample all over their opponents 10 times in 36 matches. They have lost 24 games.

The relatively-young “Multan Sultans” have just won seven of their 20 matches at a success rate of 36.84 per cent. They have lost 12 matches.

The highest innings total(238/3) was amassed by Islamabad United against Karachi Kings during the 2019 PSL. The lowest innings total (59 only) was scored by Lahore Qalandars against Peshawar Zalmi during the 2017 PSL. The highest individual runs (1286) have been scored by Kamran Akmal in 47 matches, while most wickets (65) have been bagged by Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz in 44 matches. Kamran Akmal has hit most sixes (67) in four previous seasons and Colin Ingram of South Africa had scored the highest individual tally of 127 not out.

PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT IN FIFTH PSL: According to Cricket websites “ESPN CricInfo” and “CricTracker,” Dawid Malan of England is one of the two players to score multiple hundreds in the ongoing 2019-20 season in T20 cricket. The overseas player of the Islamabad United amassed 663 runs across 16 innings an average of 51. Malan struck two hundreds and four fifties at a strike rate of 148.98 in this season.

Wahab Riaz has picked up 93 wickets in the Twenty20 format on Pakistan soil. He needs 7 more wickets for becoming the first player to claim 100 T20 wickets in Pakistan. Wahab’s 93 T20 wickets in Pakistan are currently 3rd most behind Aizaz Cheema (96) and Saeed Ajmal (94). Kamran Akmal has scored 321 runs across 8 PSL matches in Pakistan; 138 runs more than the next best.

Ahmed Shehzad (5918), Mohammad Hafeez (5837) and Kamran Akmal (5718) inch closer to 6000 runs in the Twenty20 format. Only Shoaib Malik (9653) has scored over 6000 T20 runs among Pakistan players.

Malik needs 347 runs more to become the 2nd player after Chris Gayle to reach 10,000 T20 runs. Shoaib is also nine sixes away from becoming the first Pakistan player to hit 300 sixes in this format. Meanwhile, Messrs Ravi Bopara (6931) and Alex Hales (6910) need 69 runs and 90 runs respectively for completing 7000 runs in T20 cricket. Only Luke Wright (7587) has aggregated more than 7000 T20 runs among England players.

Sohail Tanvir needs 10 more wickets to become the first Pakistan player and overall the 6th player with 350 wickets in Twenty20 cricket. Shahid Afridi is also inching close to the milestone having picked 335 wickets.

Alex Hales has scored the 2nd most runs in the Twenty20 format during the 2019-20 season. He scored those 736 runs across 23 T20s at an average of 38.73 and a strike rate of 145.74. Hales struck seven fifties in this season and five consecutive innings of 47 plus runs in the Bangladesh League.

Shane Watson is one of the four players and the only foreigner to aggregate 1000 runs in the Pakistan Super League. Luke Ronchi (754) and Rilee Rossouw (750) are the other overseas players with 750+ PSL runs.

Kamran Akmal has scored 2813 runs in the Twenty20 format on Pakistan soil. He needs 177 more runs to become the 2nd player after Shoaib Malik (3265) to complete 3000 T20 runs in Pakistan. Kamran and Shoaib featured in 107 and 102 T20 matches respectively in Pakistan; the only players to have played over 100 T20s on Pakistan soil. Kamran has also been the best PSL wicketkeeper with 39 scalps (31 catches and 8 stumpings to his credit). Kieron Pollard of West Indies possesses the safest hands, having taken 24 catches in 33 matches.

With six wickets for just 16 runs, Ravi Bopara has the best PSL bowling figures till date. Shaheen Afridi of Lahore Qalandars is the most expensive PSL bowler, having conceded 62 runs in four overs against Islamabad United during the 2019 season. And of the five centuries scored in PSL during the last four years, Kamran Akmal has hammed two tons.