Power-hitting is one of the most important aspects of modern cricket, especially in the shortest format with players such as Chris Gayle, Jos Buttler, AB de Villiers, and Kieron Pollard having a huge demand in franchise T20 leagues.
Pakistan Super League (PSL) has had a fair share of power-hitters over the years. Brendon McCullum, Darren Sammy, Luke Ronchi, Chris Gayle, Andre Russel, and Chris Lynn are some of the biggest hitters to have featured in the PSL.
All six franchises assembled a balanced squad, with some brutal power-hitters in the squad in the original PSL 2021 draft, but their plans were shattered as the league was postponed midway through the tournament. Players such as Alex Hales, Rashid Khan, David Wiese, and Tom Banton will not be taking further part in the tournament due to scheduling conflicts.
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But, the PSL organizers managed to convince many other superstars from around the globe to take part in the remainder of the tournament, and star players such as Andre Russell, Martin Guptill, and Shakib Al-Hasan will be part of the different franchises in PSL 6.
Many franchises looked to fill the power-hitting void in their batting unit and have been able to do so effectively. While some franchises have a plethora of power-hitters in their squad, others have gone a bit more subdued.
Let’s have a look at the power-hitting options available to each franchise, with overall T20 stats:
Islamabad United
| Player Name | Innings | Average | Strike Rate | 6s |
| Colin Munro | 269 | 29.35 | 143.16 | 368 |
| Asif Ali | 176 | 24.92 | 146.84 | 216 |
| Janneman Malan | 52 | 32.06 | 136.37 | 57 |
Kiwi opener, Colin Munro, will be re-joining Islamabad’s squad for the remainder of PSL 6, having been a part of the squad in the previous edition. At his prime, Munro was one of the most feared hitters in T20 cricket. His T20 strike rate is 143.16 and has hit 368 6s in his career.
Asif Ali’s repeated failure in the international arena is baffling, especially given the fact that he is one of the most destructive middle-order batsmen in PSL history. He has hit 216 sixes in 176 T20 innings.
South African opener, Janneman Malan, was picked up in the replacement draft after a successful series for South Africa against Pakistan. Malan is known as a clean hitter and his slog over cover is one of the most beautiful shots in the game. Although he may not be as destructive as the other two, he certainly was the third-best available option, coming ahead of the likes of Iftikhar Ahmed, who has a strike rate of 120 in T20 cricket.
Karachi Kings
| Player Name | Innings | Average | Strike Rate | 6s |
| Martin Guptill | 262 | 32.45 | 131.43 | 360 |
| Sharjeel Khan | 100 | 25.85 | 139.90 | 126 |
| Thisara Perera | 244 | 21.01 | 150.00 | 209 |
Martin Guptill is one of the biggest signings in PSL history. He was picked up by Karachi Kings in the replacement draft. Guptill is one of the best T20 openers in history and his record speaks for itself, having hit 360 career 6s at a strike rate of 131.43 and an average of 32.45.
Opener Sharjeel Khan made a comeback to the international side after solid performances in PSL 5 and the first half of PSL 6. Sharjeel is an explosive opener and on his day, he can take the game away from the opposition in the first few overs of the match.
Sri Lankan all-rounder, Thisara Perera, is an accomplished hitter lower down the order and provides the much-needed impetus at the backend of the innings. Perera’s power-hitting is underrated in the cricketing fraternity because his career strike rate of 150.00 is exceptional and has hit over 209 maximums.
Lahore Qalandars
| Player Name | Innings | Average | Strike Rate | 6s |
| Fakhar Zaman | 143 | 27.80 | 135.79 | 128 |
| Ben Dunk | 147 | 24.99 | 130.82 | 120 |
| Mohammad Hafeez | 299 | 26.43 | 124.27 | 226 |
Although Lahore is an explosive team, this time around they feel a little light on the power-hitting aspect, losing the likes of David Wiese and Samit Patel. The Qalandars have Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, and Ben Dunk as their three big power-hitters.
Fakhar scores at a strike rate of 135.79 and has hit 128 sixes and is a real match-winner for Lahore Qalandars. Ben Dunk has put in impressive performances for Lahore over the past few seasons and hits huge sixes.
Hafeez may not be a traditional power-hitter but his transformation over the past few years is undeniable. He has enhanced his power-hitting ability and has the ability to clear the fence at will. His career strike rate of 124.47 is below par, but recently he has scored at a much higher rate.
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Multan Sultans
| Player Name | Innings | Average | Strike Rate | 6s |
| Rilee Rossouw | 205 | 28.88 | 135.66 | 173 |
| Khushdil Shah | 69 | 27.18 | 133.48 | 78 |
| Shahid Afridi | 278 | 18.31 | 154.21 | 252 |
Multan Sultans have had a poor start to their campaign this time around and they will be looking towards their power-hitting ability for inspiration. The likes of Rilee Rossouw, Khushdil Shah, and Shahid Afridi have the ability to clear the fence by miles, with a combined 503 sixes to their name.
Shahid Afridi’s six-hitting ability is famous around the world and when on song, he can rip apart the opposition bowling unit. His career strike rate of 154.21 is incredible as well.
Khushdil Shah is regarded as one of the better hitters in Pakistan domestic cricket currently. Having recently lost his place in the national T20 squad, he will be determined to get back into big hitting form to stake his claim back in the squad.
Peshawar Zalmi
| Player Name | Innings | Average | Strike Rate | 6s |
| Haider Ali | 42 | 24.87 | 150.85 | 51 |
| Sherfane Rutherford | 44 | 21.54 | 135.85 | 49 |
| David Miller | 303 | 34.94 | 137.93 | 318 |
Zalmi is an explosive team and historically they have had some of the biggest power-hitters in world cricket. The likes of Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy and Shahid Afridi have all played for the franchise at some point.
They have explosive players in their squad yet again. The likes of Sherfane Rutherford, Haider Ali, and David Miller are some of the highly rated and sought-after players in franchise T20 cricket and their power-hitting ability is widely regarded as their best characteristics.
Particularly, David Miller, a veteran of the game, has hit 318 career sixes at a strike rate of 137.93.
Rutherford and Haider are young explosive batsmen who have showcased their talents in the PSL, and at the international level. They both need to add a little bit of patience to their game to improve their game even further and help their team win matches.
Quetta Gladiators
| Player Name | Innings | Average | Strike Rate | 6s |
| Andre Russell | 301 | 26.82 | 169.45 | 473 |
| Azam Khan | 35 | 23.96 | 157.41 | 45 |
| Ben Cutting | 143 | 22.76 | 149.02 | 153 |
Quetta Gladiators added the most destructive T20 all-rounder in the world, Andre Russell, to their squad in the replacement draft. Russell has hit an incredible 473 6s in his career and bats at a strike rate of 169.45. He is a proper match-winner who can turn the fortunes around for Quetta.
Azam Khan is regarded as one of the finest power-hitters in the country, Azam scores at an astonishing rate and hits the ball for mammoth sixes. He too scores at a magnificent strike rate of 157.41.
Ben Cutting rounds off Quetta’s power-hitters. He also clears the boundary at will and has an astonishing strike rate of 149.02.
Quetta possesses the best power-hitters in the league according to their six hitting ability and their strike rates. The three players combined have the highest six to innings ratio in the league, hitting 1.40 sixes in an innings. Similarly, their combined strike rate is much higher as compared to the other five franchises. Their strike rate is 158.62 and are followed by Islamabad United, whose three players play at a combined strike rate of 142.12.
