Top 3 batsmen and bowlers in HBL PSL 9
The group stages of HBL PSL have ended, and now, we can see which players have dominated the tournament so far. People say that stats don’t tell you the whole story. However, this is the PSL we are talking about. Pakistan Super League is the toughest tournament out there. Hence, if a batsman has scored runs, or if a bowler has taken wickets, it matters. Let’s dive into these numbers and find out who are the top 3 batters and bowlers of this season.
Top 3 batsmen in HBL PSL 9
Starting with the batsmen, Babar, Rizwan, and RVD take the top-3 spots on the roster. Babar Azam is close to scoring 500 runs in this season, absolutely dominating the list. Honestly, it feels like he is the reason the Zalmis have come so far.
| Rank | Player | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Babar Azam | 498 |
| 2 | Mohammad Rizwan | 366 |
| 3 | Rassie van der Dussen | 364 |
Let’s see the details.
Babar Azam
Babar Azam is the top scorer of this season. His consistency in this tournament is insane. Years after years, you can see Babar getting better and better. Here are his stats after the 10 group matches in HBL PSL 9.
| Matches | 9 |
| Runs | 498 |
| Average | 62.25 |
| Best Innings | 111* |
| Strike Rate | 148 |
The best thing is Babar’s stats. People have been grilling him for a low strike rate. However, this strike rate shows that Babar can hit the ball all around the park, and score swiftly.
Mohammad Rizwan
Rizwan was also on this list last year. You can see that his commitment and strengths have uplifted the team, as well as his profile. Mohammad Rizwan has scored 366 runs so far, and there are more to come considering he will play in the knockout stages too.
| Matches | 10 |
| Runs | 366 |
| Average | 36.6 |
| Strike Rate | 82 |
| Best Innings | 127 |
Rassie van der Dussen
Rassie van der Dussen was like a breath of fresh air for the struggling Lahore Qalandars. Even if his team was losing, RVD always kept things going and was a source of hope for the fans and the team. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t perform well as a unit. Otherwise, he had the form to beat Babar on this list as well. RVD left PSL 9 after 7 matches due to his other commitments.
| Matches | 7 |
| Runs | 364 |
| Average | 72.8 |
| Strike Rate | 154 |
| Best Innings | 104* |
The top 3 bowlers in HBL PSL 9
Bowlers got a lot of help from the pitch this time. And this time, spinners are ruling the charts instead of the pacers. You could say Shaheen and Haris’s poor form is the reason for this. But you cannot discredit the current table toppers just like that. Here is the top list.
| Rank | Player | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Usama Mir | 21 |
| 2 | Mohammad Ali | 17 |
| 3 | Abrar Ahmad | 15 |
Usama Mir
This was a perfect redemption arc for Usama. He was selected in the national squad after doing well in the domestic tournaments. However, he couldn’t do well for the team in international cricket. There were talks of removing him from the squad. The tall legspinner had to redeem himself in PSL 9. And this is exactly what he did. Right now, he is the top wicket-taker of HBL PSL 2024.
| Matches | 10 |
| Wickets | 21 |
| Economy rate | 8.25 |
| Bowling strike rate | 11.38 |
| Best bowling figures | 6-40 |
Mohammad Ali
Mohammad Ali was the emerging player for the tournament so far. Or, you could argue, he is one of the strongest contenders for this award. Multan Sultans knows how to groom a fast bowler. Whether it is Dahani, Ihsanullah, or Abbas Afridi, they have had the pacer that becomes the X factor of the tournament. And this is what Ali has done. What a find!
| Matches | 10 |
| Wickets | 17 |
| Economy rate | 8.35 |
| Bowling strike rate | 13.5 |
| Best bowling figures | 3-19 |
Abrar Ahmad
Abrar Ahmad had been unlucky. He was working with Saeed Ajmal in hopes of taking over the void he had left when he was banned from bowling due to illegal bowling action. Everybody wanted Abrar to succeed. However, Injuries didn’t let him do much.
Now, in PSL 9, Abrar has proved that he has what he needs to be the next Ajmal. With the variations and the skill, Abrar has it all to bamboozle the batsmen and take wickets. Let’s see his stats so far.
| Matches | 9 |
| Wickets | 15 |
| Economy rate | 7.8 |
| Bowling strike rate | 14.4 |
| Best bowling figures | 3-18 |
Conclusion
PSL 9 was a lot more interesting due to the balance in the pitch. Whether it was the bowlers or the batters, you got equal value for all the players. That is why, this tournament was a lot more interesting than the last season. It was the runs galore last year. But as you can see, the players had to work hard to score runs. Similarly, the bowlers had to have some skill level to take wickets.
There are still some matches left in PSL. And the situation can change. What are your predictions? Can Ali or Abrar take over Usama on the list as the highest wicket taker of HBL PSL season 9? Comment below.
