The seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League ended with Lahore Qalandars becoming champions for the first time ever. The team that qualified for the final just once in the last six seasons dominated the grand finale and dethroned the defending champions, Multan Sultans, on the day it mattered the most.

The final was played on February 27, Sunday, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, between the two top teams of PSL 7.

On one side was Multan Sultans, who had lost just one match on their way to the final, while on the other side was Lahore Qalandars, who inflicted that defeat on the defending champions. The final margin of 42 runs may seem a lot, but when the match was being played, it seemed too less for Mohammad Rizwan and his men.

Although Fakhar Zaman scored the highest number of runs in PSL 7, and Mohammad Hafeez was the Man of the Final, it was the losing Captain Mohammad Rizwan who took the Player of the Tournament trophy. He not only scored 546 runs in the 12 matches he played, but also led the side into the finals, besides taking crucial catches behind the stumps.

Let’s take a look at the most successful batsmen of the series — Fakhar Zaman, with his 588 runs in 13 matches, was miles ahead of his fellow PSL cricketers. He was not only amongst the three centurions in the event — Jason Roy and Harry Brook being the other two — but also smashed as many as seven half-centuries to win the best batsman award.

After Fakhar Zaman, there are two more Pakistanis on the list, Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood in the list. While Rizwan managed to score 546 runs in the 12 matches he played for Multan Sultans, his opening partner for the same team Shan Masood managed 478 runs in the same number of matches. The only other person to cross 400 during the event was 40-year-old Shoaib Malik, whose Peshawar Zalmi couldn’t reach the grand finale.

As for the bowlers, Pakistan’s bowling sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi ended the event as the top wicket-taker, however, the top prize went to Shadab Khan for he had a better wicket per match record. While it took the captain of Lahore Qalandars 13 matches to get 20 wickets, the Islamabad United skipper played just nine matches for his 19 scalps.

Shadab Khan featured into the best bowling analysis table as well, for he took one five-wicket haul, and two four-wicket hauls during the series. The only other bowler to take a five-wicket and a four-wicket haul besides the Islamabad skipper was Quetta Gladiators’ Naseem Shah.

Naseem Shah ended the event with 14 wickets in 10 matches, and despite his speed and accuracy, was overshadowed by Zaman Khan who took 18 wickets in 13 matches for Lahore Qalandars. He was the only bowler to bowl two maiden overs during PSL 7; no other bowler was able to bowl even one maiden during the event!

Last year’s highest wicket-taker Shahnawaz Dahani had a good PSL as well and he ended it with 17 wickets in 11 matches. Three bowlers shared the next position with 16 wickets each — Khushdil Shah and Imran Tahir of Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars’ Haris Rauf.

This edition of PSL saw many players given a chance as wicket keepers and while some were comfortable with their gloves on behind the wickets, many weren’t. Mohammad Rizwan’s nine victims in 12 matches were the reason why he was chosen for the most coveted prize of the tournament; however, Islamabad United’s Azam Khan wasn’t far behind with the same number of dismissals, in the same number of matches.

Lahore Qalandars’ Phil Salt, who was dropped in the final despite staying steady behind the wicket, was the third most successful gloveman during the event. He managed to end up with six victims in nine matches, and compensated for his bad form as a batter with his clean work behind the stumps.

The most dependable fielder besides the wicket-keeper throughout PSL 7 was Multan Sultans Tim David, who bagged 10 catches in 11 matches. Karachi Kings’ Babar Azam and Quetta Gladiators’ Iftikhar Ahmed weren’t far behind with nine catches each in 10 matches.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 5th, 2022