As the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League nears its end, let’s take a look back at this year’s stars behind the stumps. PSL 7 witnessed excellence from the wicket-keepers of all six teams with both bat and gloves.
Here’s a look at the performances of local wicket-keepers of PSL 7:
Azam Khan – Islamabad United
Previously playing for Quetta Gladiators, it was his debut season for Islamabad United and also the first time keeping wickets in PSL. The role seems to fit Azam Khan since he ended up as the most successful wicket-keeper of the tournament with the most number of dismissals to his name. Azam Khan kept the wickets in all 12 matches he played, bagging 6 catches and 3 stumpings.
The young cricketer also showed class with the bat, hitting 19 fours and as many sixes in 11 innings. The power-hitter smashed 296 runs at a strike rate of 141.62 and helped his team in crucial moments on multiple occasions. Azam Khan’s presence in the middle order added value to the already brilliant batting lineup of Islamabad United.
Muhammad Rizwan – Multan Sultans
The captain of the defending champions, Multan Sultans, and arguably the most agile man behind the stumps, Muhammad Rizwan was the best wicket-keeper of the season thanks to his brilliance behind the stumps, with the bat as well as top-class decision making as a captain. First guiding his team to a record-breaking stint in the league stage of PSL 7 and then to the final, Muhammad Rizwan had a phenomenal season.
In 11 matches for Multan Sultans, the skipper took 6 catches and a stumping. However, the numbers are even more outstanding for Muhammad Rizwan in the batting department. Opening for Multan Sultans, Rizwan has 532 runs at a staggering average of 76 before the PSL final. With this, Rizwan is the second-highest run-scorer of PSL 7 following Lahore Qalandars’ Fakhar Zaman. He smacked 44 fours and 9 sixes in the tournament. With the big game yet to go, the records are further expected to peak seeing the incredible form of the star batsman.
Sarfaraz Ahmed – Quetta Gladiators
Leading Quetta Gladiators, Sarfaraz Ahmed had a decent year in both departments. Despite Quetta Gladiators not being able to qualify for the play-offs, Sarfaraz Ahmed played his role finely. In his 10 matches of PSL 7, the skipper took 4 catches behind the stumps. With the bat, Sarfaraz Ahmed scored 152 runs in 7 innings at an average of 38.
Muhammad Haris – Peshawar Zalmi
Peshawar Zalmi’s emerging wicket-keeper batsman turned heads with his phenomenal batting skills in the powerplay. Playing 5 matches for Peshawar Zalmi, the young batsman scored 166 runs at an astounding strike rate of 186.51. Muhammad Haris smacked 19 fours and 9 sixes in his 5 innings, announcing himself as the future star of T20 format.
In 4 matches where he kept wickets, Haris collected three catches and a stumping. Peshawar Zalmi have unearthed an explosive opener as well as a dynamic wicket-keeper in the face of Muhammad Haris.
Kamran Akmal – Peshawar Zalmi
Veteran wicket-keeper for Peshawar Zalmi, Kamran Akmal played 6 matches this season. Playing at a strike rate of 138.18, Kamran Akmal scored 152 runs in his 6 innings. 40-year-old smashed 16 fours and 5 sixes in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League. Kamran Akmal also bagged two catches in his 5 matches behind the stumps.
Rohail Nazir – Karachi Kings
Rohail Nazir had a quiet season as Karachi Kings ended up at the bottom of the points table. The young wicket-keeper batsman played three matches in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League. Although he could not get any dismissals, Rohail Nazir scored at a strike rate of 130.55 playing some quickfire innings.
Here’s a statistical comparison between the six wicket-keepers:
| Player | Team | Matches | Dismissals | Dismissals Per Innings | Runs Scored | Strike Rate | Average |
| Azam Khan | Islamabad United | 12 | 9 | 0.750 | 296 | 141.62 | 29.60 |
| Muhammad Rizwan | Multan Sultans | 11 | 7 | 0.636 | 532 | 126.96 | 76 |
| Sarfaraz Ahmed | Quetta Gladiators | 10 | 4 | 0.4 | 152 | 115.15 | 38 |
| Muhammad Haris | Peshawar Zalmi | 5 | 4 | 1.0 | 166 | 186.51 | 33.20 |
| Kamran Akmal | Peshawar Zalmi | 5 | 2 | 0.4 | 152 | 138.18 | 25.33 |
| Rohail Nazir | Karachi Kings | 3 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 130.55 | 15.66 |
Follow all the PSL stats here.
