The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has quickly risen to become one of the most exciting cricket leagues in the world since its inception in 2016. Over the course of 9 thrilling editions, Islamabad United came up as the most successful team, winning three titles in 2016, 2018, and 2024. While PSL is often seen as a league dominated by fast bowlers, it has also provided countless batsmen a platform to shine and make a name for them. In this article, we’ll dive into the Most runs in PSL: top batsmen and records, which will include an overall batter’s performance review, a seasonal performance detail, and top performers from the 2024 season.
PSL Most Runs of All Time: The Batsmen with the Highest Totals
Sr | Player | Total Runs | Matches Played | Batting Average | Strike Rate | Centuries |
1 | Babar Azam | 3,504 | 90 | 45.50 | 127.41 | 2 |
2 | Fakhar Zaman | 2,525 | 84 | 30.42 | 140.27 | 2 |
3 | M Rizwan | 2,403 | 83 | 41.43 | 127.48 | 1 |
4 | Shoaib Malik | 2,336 | 91 | 33.37 | 128.07 | 0 |
5 | Rilee Rossouw | 2,015 | 84 | 31.98 | 142.70 | 2 |
6 | Kamran Akmal | 1,972 | 75 | 27.38 | 136.94 | 3 |
7 | Mohammad Hafeez | 1,731 | 78 | 27.47 | 124.44 | 0 |
8 | Sarfaraz Ahmed | 1,525 | 86 | 29.32 | 122.68 | 0 |
9 | Shan Masood | 1,476 | 53 | 28.38 | 130.15 | 0 |
10 | Colin Munro | 1,417 | 47 | 32.95 | 150.58 | 0 |
11 | Shane Watson | 1,361 | 46 | 32.40 | 138.59 | 0 |
12 | Jason Roy | 1,260 | 38 | 36.00 | 146.51 | 2 |
13 | Shadab Khan | 1,240 | 84 | 20.32 | 139.32 | 0 |
14 | Imad Wasim | 1,212 | 90 | 26.34 | 139.47 | 0 |
15 | Asif Ali | 1,202 | 82 | 22.25 | 156.51 | 0 |
16 | Alex Hales | 1,180 | 44 | 29.50 | 140.97 | 0 |
17 | James Vince | 1,166 | 45 | 27.76 | 136.69 | 0 |
18 | Kieron Pollard | 1,149 | 53 | 38.30 | 162.28 | 0 |
19 | Azam Khan | 1,140 | 54 | 25.33 | 146.90 | 0 |
20 | Sharjeel Khan | 1,127 | 49 | 24.50 | 140.00 | 2 |
In the first few editions, the Pakistan Super League was held in the United Arab Emirates due to security reasons. From 2016 to 2019, all the editions of the Pakistan Super League were played completely or partly in the UAE. After a brave decision by the management of PCB in 2020, the Pakistan Super League was held totally in Pakistan. In UAE, there were not that many benefits for the Batter as spin bowling was very effective in those conditions.
In the UAE, Kamran Akmal was the only Batter to make the most impact with his excellent power hitting. Due to his explosive batting, Peshawar Zalmi won the PSL 2017 title. Besides him, another name emerged at that point in time in the shape of Babar Azam.
The winning side, Islamabad United, did not give Babar Azam many chances in the opening season of the Pakistan Super League. But after making an excellent contribution to international cricket, Babar Azam shifted from Islamabad United to Karachi Kings. In Karachi Kings, Babar Showed great performance with the bat. Due to his excellent batting, the Karachi Kings won the PSL 2020 title.
As PSL started to feature in Pakistan on batting-friendly tracks, many other batters became prominent figures in the HBL PSL highest run scorer list. Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan are the two names who got an excellent boost with their batting in the Pakistan Super League.
Representing Lahore Qalandar, Fakhar Zaman performed well in eight seasons of the Pakistan Super League he played in. Fakhar is an explosive cricketer who plays fearless cricket. He can use the powerplay conditions well and hit boundaries easily.
Starting with Lahore Qalandars and shifting a couple of teams, Muhammad Rizwan saw many ups and downs in his PSL career. After being ignored by Karachi Kings, Rizwan moved to Multan Sultan in PSL 2021 and accepted the captaincy role. Rizwan showed great performances with the bat to reach the top runs scorers of the Pakistan Super League.
Many overseas batters earned a place in the list of the highest run scorer of the Pakistan Super League with their outstanding performances. Rilee Rossouw, who played for a couple of sides in HBL PSL, scored many runs to give his side multiple victories.
Due to his excellent batting performances, Rossouw also got the chance to lead Quetta Gladiators, replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed. Check out the top 20 highest individual run scorers of the Pakistan Super League.
PSL Highest Score in a Match: Record-Breaking Batsmen
Rank | Player | Score | Opposition | Venue | Date | Strike Rate | PSL Season |
1 | Jason Roy | 145* | Peshawar Zalmi | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium | 8 March 2023 | 230.16 | 2023 |
2 | Colin Ingram | 127* | Quetta Gladiator | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 24 February 2019 | 182.85 | 2019 |
3 | Rilee Rossouw | 121 | Peshawar Zalmi | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium | 10 March 2023 | 237.25 | 2023 |
4 | Usman Khan | 120 | Quetta Gladiators | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium | 11 March 2023 | 279.06 | 2023 |
5 | Cameron Delport | 117* | Lahore Qalandars | National Stadium, Karachi | 9 March 2019 | 195.00 | 2019 |
6 | Sharjeel Khan | 117 | Peshawar Zalmi | Dubai International Stadium | 21 February 2016 | 188.70 | 2016 |
7 | Martin Guptill | 117 | Karachi Kings | National Stadium, Karachi | 18 February 2023 | 150.00 | 2023 |
8 | Jason Roy | 116 | Lahore Qalandars | National Stadium, Karachi | 7 February 2022 | 203.50 | 2022 |
9 | Babar Azam | 115 | Quetta Gladiators | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium | 8 March 2023 | 176.92 | 2023 |
10 | Fakhar Zaman | 115 | Islamabad United | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium | 9 March 2023 | 183.33 | 2023 |
11 | Mohammad Rizwan | 110* | Karachi Kings | Multan Cricket Stadium | 22 February 2023 | 171.87 | 2023 |
12 | Usman Khawaja | 105* | Peshawar Zalmi | Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi | 17 June 2021 | 174.57 | 2021 |
13 | Sharjeel Khan | 105 | Islamabad United | National Stadium, Karachi | 24 February 2021 | 174.57 | 2021 |
14 | Chris Lynn | 113* | Multan Sultans | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 15 March 2020 | 191.52 | 2020 |
15 | Rilee Rossouw | 100* | Quetta Gladiators | Multan Cricket Stadium | 29 February 2020 | 185.18 | 2020 |
16 | Harry Brook | 102* | Islamabad United | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 19 February 2022 | 197.05 | 2022 |
17 | Kamran Akmal | 107* | Lahore Qalandars | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | 16 March 2018 | 176.66 | 2018 |
18 | Kamran Akmal | 104 | Karachi Kings | Dubai International Stadium | 3 March 2017 | 170.49 | 2017 |
19 | Fakhar Zaman | 106 | Karachi Kings | National Stadium, Karachi | 30 January 2022 | 200.00 | 2022 |
20 | Kamran Akmal | 101 | Quetta Gladiators | National Stadium, Karachi | 22 February 2020 | 184.90 | 2020 |
First innings on this list, Jason Roy helped Quetta Gladiators to chase down a record target. Chasing 241 runs against Peshawar Zalmi, Jason Roy pulled out a majestic inning to make that target very easy for Quetta Gladiators. Jason Roy has featured a couple of times in that list top 20 highest individual runs scorers in PSL. He scored 116 runs against Lahore Qalandars to make his side win that game easily. Roy is a pure destruction for fast bowling on his day.
Kamran Akmal featured 3 times in that list by scoring 3 100s for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL. One was against Karachi Kings in PSL 2017 to help his side reach the first-ever PSL final successfully and win that title by winning the final against Quetta Gladiators. Kamran Akmal was a senior pro who played on these grounds for years. He understood how to manage all the bowlers; that’s why he was so successful in the first few seasons.
Besides them, Babar Azam, one of the best Batters in the world right now, has also been featured on this list a couple of times. Babar Azam scored a couple of centuries in the recent 2 seasons of the Pakistan Super League. Last year, Babar Azam scored an excellent 100 against Islamabad United to win a crucial game for his side. Babar is among the five best batters in world cricket right now due to his run-scoring ability and classic technique.
Many young players featured in the Pakistan Super League and reached a high level after scoring runs in the league. One of them is Harry Brook, who scored an excellent 100 against Islamabad United in PSL 2022. Harry Brook helped Lahore Qalandar reach the final, and later, Lahore Qalandar clinched its first-ever PSL title.
In addition to these players, many players played crucial and big innings to make their names in the Top 20 highest individual runs scored in the Pakistan Super League. Many Pakistani players register their names in that list, and overseas players play big innings for their side.
Experienced South African Batter Colin Ingram scored 127 runs against Quetta Gladiator to become the first foreign player to score a hundred in the Pakistan Super League. He set the standard for overseas players to score big runs and make the PSL more colorful in the next few years.
Sharjeel Khan is another special name in that list. Sharjeel scored the first-ever century in the Pakistan Super League. This century came at a critical time when Islamabad United played Qualifier II against Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2016. Sharjeel Khan scored an excellent 117 and took his side to the final of PSL 2016. Sharjeel showed his range of power hitting in this game, sending the ball all over the park for fours and sixes.
These prominent names in these lists scored 100 in crucial stages and set the landmark for their side in the Pakistan Super League. Rilee Rossouw also scored a magnificent 127 runs in PSL 2023 to chase down more than 240 runs against Peshawar Zalmi.
PSL Highest Run Scorers by Season: A Look at The Top Batsmen Each Year
Season | Player | Team | Runs | Innings | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
2016 | Umar Akmal | Lahore Qalandars | 335 | 7 | 83.75 | 157.27 | 0 | 4 |
2017 | Kamran Akmal | Peshawar Zalmi | 353 | 11 | 32.09 | 129.30 | 1 | 2 |
2018 | Luke Ronchi | Islamabad United | 435 | 11 | 43.50 | 182.00 | 0 | 5 |
2019 | Shane Watson | Quetta Gladiators | 430 | 12 | 43.00 | 143.81 | 0 | 4 |
2020 | Babar Azam | Karachi Kings | 473 | 11 | 59.12 | 124.14 | 0 | 5 |
2021 | Babar Azam | Karachi Kings | 554 | 11 | 69.25 | 132.53 | 0 | 7 |
2022 | Fakhar Zaman | Lahore Qalandars | 588 | 13 | 45.23 | 152.72 | 1 | 7 |
2023 | M Rizwan | Multan Sultans | 550 | 12 | 55.00 | 142.85 | 1 | 5 |
2024 | Babar Azam | Peshawar Zalmi | 569 | 11 | 56.90 | 142.60 | 1 | 5 |
The list of highest runs scorers in every season of the Pakistan Super League is mainly filled with local players who showed the greatness of Pakistani Batter. The prominent name in this list is Babar Azam. Babar Azam became the highest runs scorer in 3 seasons. In PSL 2020, Babar Azam scored 473 runs with an excellent average of almost 60. Due to extraordinary batting performance, Karachi Kings won its first-ever Pakistan Super League title in 2020.
He was also the highest run-scorer in the recent season of the Pakistan Super League, scoring 569 runs for his side with an effective strike rate of 142, which is always in debate. In the first season, Umar Akmal scored the most runs playing for Lahore Qalandar, scoring 335 runs.
Luke Ronchi is another big name on this list, as he scored 435 runs in PSL 2018 to play a crucial role in Islamabad United winning that title. Ronchi took Islamabad United out of difficult positions to clinch 2nd title Pakistan Super League.
The Australian power hitter Shane Watson, who became Quetta Gladiator’s highest-scoring run scorer in PSL 2019, is also on the list. Because of Shane Watson’s excellent performance in PSL 2019, Quetta Gladiator won its first-ever PSL title, beating Peshawar Zalmi in the final.
In addition to these top players, Pakistan’s current white-ball captain, Mohammad Rizwan, registered his name as the highest runs-scorer in PSL 2023. Rizwan helped his side reach the third consecutive finals of PSL. Unfortunately, they lost that final against Lahore Qalandar by a close margin.
Fakhar Zaman emerged as a blessing for Lahore Qalandar in PSL 2022. Making 588 runs in PSL 2022, Fakhar Zaman became the highest run scorer in a single edition of PSL. Due to his excellent performances, Lahore Qalandar got its first-ever PSL title, beating Multan Sultan in the final.
Kamran Akmal is another player on this list who scored 353 runs in the PSL 2017. His excellent performance throughout the tournament helped Peshawar Zalmi win the first-ever PSL title, beating Quetta Gladiator in the final. The special thing about that final was that it happened in Lahore, which brought the league to Pakistan. These are the few top names who registered their names in the list of top run scorers with their brilliant performances.
Analysing the PSL’s Top Batsmen
Over the years, many Pakistani batters have shown great performances. Promient names in this list are Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and Muhammad Rizwan. These players are core players of the Pakistan Super League in the Batter’s category. Besides them, many players have shown great batting performance in the nine successful years of the Pakistan Super League. Let’s analyze the batting careers and techniques of the top Batters.
Babar Azam: PSL’s Leading Run-Scorer
Babar Azam is among the world’s best players. He has consistently performed for Pakistan in all formats of cricket. In 2016, Babar Azam made his PSL debut, starting his journey with Islamabad United. Unfortunately, Babar Azam did not get many chances to showcase his talent. After making three back-to-back ODI centuries, Babar Azam became the top choice for every franchise in PSL. For 2017, Karachi Kings picked Babar Azam and played for this franchise from 2017 to 2022.
In 2023, Peshawar Zalmi traded Baar Azam as the team’s captain. In nine seasons, Babar showed great performances with the bat, becoming the top run scorer in the Pakistan Super League. Babar Azam’s excellent skill level makes him different from every Batter in the Pakistan Super League.
Babar Azam has excellent balance and solid technique, which makes him very easy to play against any difficult bowler. His classic cover drive is his trademark short. He plays the ball late and under his eyes, which is a solid technique.
Mohammad Rizwan: A Consistent Run Machine in PSL
Pakistan’s current white-ball captain, Muhammad Rizwan, failed to make an instant impact with the bat in his first PSL season. His shift from Lahore Qalandar to Karachi Kings did not give much advantage to his PSL career.
PSL 2021 was the turning point for Muhammad Rizwan as a Batter and captain. After being dropped from Karachi Kings, Multan picked Rizwan and made him the team captain. Thanks to his excellent leadership qualities, Multan won its first-ever PSL title in PSL 2021.
As a captain, Muhammad Rizwan is the only captain to successfully reach the final of the Pakistan Super League for the fourth consecutive time. Due to his consistency, he became the third highest runs scorer in the Pakistan Super League, scoring 2403 in the PSL.
Not a gifted technical player, Rizwan worked extremely hard on his batting abilities to shift his batting record from negative to positive. His excellent skills at playing the ball on the leg side make him a very lethal Batter in the powerplay. Also, his super fitness gives him an extra advantage in taking quick singles and crucial runs to overcome the pressure.
Fakhar Zaman
Fakhar Zaman is an excellent power hitter who can tackle any opposition in every critical game situation. He made his PSL debut in 2017. Starting his journey with Lahore Qalandar, Fakhar Zaman has done great with this franchise in the last eight editions of the PSL.
Due to his excellent power hitting, Fakhar Zaman played a key role in making Lahore Qalandars win the PSL title twice. His unorthodox ball-playing style made him difficult for bowlers to tackle. He can hit the ball long and make any bowler helpless in front of him.
Many local players are doing their best in PSL, but it took time to reach their current positions. These 3 players have done a great job achieving this status and have given excellent performances in recent editions of PSL.
PSL Highest Score Batsmen: Greatest Batting Moments
In all nine years of PSL, many top moments came in which Batter did a great job of getting their side to win the game and making these matches memorable. Check out the top moments by Batter in PSL, which are still in fans’ minds.
1. Classic Centuries in PSL
First PSL Century
In PSL 2016, Islamabad United faced a significant challenge to reach the final of the first-ever edition of the PSL. After many ups and downs in PSL 2016, Islamabad United qualified to play the Qualifier game against Peshawar Zalmi. In that game, Sharjeel Khan made the first-ever 100 in PSL history and took his side to the first-ever PSL title.
First Overseas Century
In PSL 2019, Colin Ingram became the first overseas player to score a century in the Pakistan Super League. His explosive batting against Quetta Gladiator earned his side a valuable victory in that season of PSL.
2. Match Winning Knocks
Kamran Akmal’s 50-ball Century
In PSL 2018, Peshawar Zalmi’s core batter in the opening season, Kamran Akmal showed great performances. One of his top moments was a 50-ball century against Lahore Qalandar, a sign of his aggression and explosive batting.
Fastest PSL Century
In Pakistan Super League 2023, Rilee Rossouw scored the fastest century in PSL history on just 41 balls. His explosive batting allowed Multan Sultans to chase 243 runs against Peshawar Zalmi.
3. Thrilling Run Chases
Jason Roy’s 145 against Peshawar Zalmi
Jason Roy scored 145 runs against Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2023. He helped Quetta Gladiators to chase huge total of 241 runs against Peshawar Zalmi. It was pure destruction for Zalmi bowlers at the hands of Jason Roy.
Fakhar Zaman’s 106 against Karachi Kings
Fakhar Zaman showed excellent form against arch-rivals Karachi Kings in PSL 7. He scored excellent 106 runs for his side in critical situation of the game. When 4 wickets of his side wentgn down in early period, Fakhar Zaman played match-winning knock against Karachi Kings and won the game for his side.
Islamabad United Qualifying for Finals
Islamabad United struggled to get through to the final of PSL 2024. Then, experienced Imad Wasim and young Haider Ali stood and shared an excellent partnership to secure the win for their side in Qualifier II against Peshawar Zalmi. By winning that game, Islamabad United reached the final of PSL for the third time and won against Multan Sultan by a close margin.
These knocks reflect the best batting moments of the Pakistan Super League. There are many batting performances in PSL, but these performances are record-breaking and came in critical situations of the game. Therefore, these efforts are glorified more than any innings.
Most Runs in PSL 2024: Stats Overview
Pakistan Super League 2024 was an outstanding season in terms of batting performances. Batters showed great performances for their sides and scored crucial runs. Most venues were suitable for batting, but Karachi offered some struggling tracks for batters. Overall, the experience for Batters in PSL 2024 was very good.
2024 PSL Top Runs Scorers
Rank | Player | Team | Mt | Ing | Runs | HS | Avg | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
1 | Babar Azam | Peshawar Zalmi | 11 | 11 | 569 | 111* | 56.90 | 142.60 | 1 | 5 |
2 | Usman Khan | Multan Sultans | 7 | 7 | 430 | 106* | 107.50 | 164.12 | 2 | 2 |
3 | M Rizwan | Multan Sultans | 12 | 12 | 407 | 82 | 33.91 | 122.22 | 0 | 4 |
4 | Rassie van der Dussen | Lahore Qalandars | 7 | 7 | 364 | 104* | 72.80 | 154.89 | 1 | 3 |
5 | Saim Ayub | Peshawar Zalmi | 11 | 11 | 345 | 88 | 31.36 | 157.53 | 0 | 2 |
Many new faces emerged in the batting department in PSL, which is a good sign for Pakistan in the future. Saim Ayub is a big name that has become a prominent name in Pakistan cricket right now. He was an impact player for Peshawar Zalmi at the top order. He scored 345 runs in PSL 2024 and also showed great performance in PSL 2023. Due to this performance, he has become front-line opener for Pakistan in all formats of cricket.
Highest Individual Scorer in PSL 2024
Rank | Player | Team | Runs | Balls Faced | Strike Rate | 4s | 6s |
1 | Babar Azam | Peshawar Zalmi | 111* | 63 | 176.19 | 14 | 2 |
2 | Usman Khan | Multan Sultans | 106 | 59 | 179.66 | 10 | 5 |
3 | Rassie van der Dussen | Lahore Qalandars | 104* | 52 | 200.00 | 7 | 6 |
4 | Usman Khan | Multan Sultans | 100* | 50 | 200.00 | 15 | 3 |
5 | Usman Khan | Multan Sultans | 96 | 55 | 174.55 | 11 | 2 |
Babar Azam is leading yet another chart of runs department of PSL. But under Babar’s name, one new entry made the entry, Usman Khan. Khan scored three hundreds in the recent season of PSL. And in PSL 2023, he showed excellent performance. Due to this performance, he entered the Pakistan white-ball squad.
Most Sixes by an Individual in PSL 2024
Rank | Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Runs | Sixes |
1 | Saim Ayub | Peshawar Zalmi | 11 | 11 | 345 | 21 |
2 | Iftikhar Ahmed | Multan Sultans | 12 | 11 | 259 | 17 |
3 | Rassie van der Dussen | Lahore Qalandars | 7 | 7 | 364 | 16 |
4 | Shadab Khan | Islamabad United | 12 | 12 | 305 | 15 |
5 | Saud Shakeel | Quetta Gladiators | 10 | 10 | 323 | 15 |
6 | Kieron Pollard | Karachi Kings | 9 | 8 | 239 | 15 |
7 | Mohammad Rizwan | Multan Sultans | 12 | 12 | 407 | 15 |
8 | Azam Khan | Islamabad United | 12 | 10 | 226 | 14 |
9 | Agha Salman | Islamabad United | 12 | 12 | 310 | 12 |
10 | Colin Munro | Islamabad United | 10 | 10 | 326 | 12 |
Saim Ayub is leading the chart for hitting the most sixes in PSL 2024. Saim Ayub is famous for his innovative shorts and stylish playing, which allowed him to score more sixes. Beside him in this list is Pakistan’s crucial allrounder and PSL 2024 trophy-winning team captain Shadab Khan, who is fourth in this list. Iftikhar Ahmed and Van der Dussen showed great performances for their teams, and their six-hitting ability is proof of it.
Final Words for Most Runs in PSL: Top Batsmen & Records
In conclusion, the Pakistan Super League has provided a stage for some of the finest batsmen to display their skills. From explosive knocks to consistent performances, the top batsmen in PSL have set numerous records that continue to inspire players and fans alike. With each edition, new stars emerge, and the competition gets fiercer. As the league grows, so will the number of records and milestones, making the journey of most runs in PSL even more exciting for years to come.
FAQs
1. Who has scored the most runs in PSL history?
Babar Azam is the highest run scorer of the PSL history with 3504 runs to his name.
2. What is the Highest Individual Score in a PSL Match?
Jason Roy scored 145 runs in the PSL game against Peshawar while playing from Quetta Gladiators.
3. Which team has the most batsmen with the highest score in PSL?
Multan Sultan players have scored 6 centuries in PSL.