Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL) are arguably the top two franchise T20 tournaments in world cricket.
Both the leagues have established themselves as top tournaments due to the high quality of players from across the globe, who have enhanced the reputation of the respective competitions.
While both competitions are highly regarded as the best, the only thing lacking from the competition is the inclusion of players from the neighboring countries. IPL’s insistence on not including Pakistani players after the first edition has deprived the fans on both sides of the border to witness their superstars in action against each other.
Players such as Babar Azam, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shaheen Afridi, Hardik Pandya, and Mohammad Rizwan have only faced each other a handful of times in major ICC tournaments, which has led to the question, what would happen if these players faced each other in a franchise T20 tournament.
Let’s have a look at the potential blockbuster matchups between PSL and IPL players that would take the cricketing world by storm:
Shaheen Afridi vs Virat Kohli
The two superstars from Pakistan and India, Shaheen and Kohli, facing off against each other is one of the most fantasized match-ups in cricket but unfortunately, the two players have only faced each other twice in their careers.
The 2021 T20 World Cup is when the two came face to face for the first time as Shaheen Afridi ran riot. Kohli managed to score 10 runs off 11 balls against Shaheen before the Eagle got rid of the Indian batting legend.
The two then faced off in the 2022 T20 World Cup as Kohli bounced back against the left-arm pacer. Kohli scored 23 runs off 12 balls against Shaheen as he smashed him for four boundaries.
Here is how Kohli has performed against Shaheen Afridi:
| Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| 34 | 22 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 154.5 | 34.00 |
Babar Azam vs Jasprit Bumrah
Moving on to the biggest batting superstar from Pakistan and the bowling superstar from India, Babar Azam and Jasprit Bumrah is another dream match-up in cricket. The two players have only faced each other once in T20 cricket as Pakistan and India locked horns in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Babar has faced only 10 balls against Bumrah, smashing one boundary and scoring 13 runs without getting out. Bumrah is yet to take the wicket of Babar in limited-overs cricket, with Babar scoring 30 runs in 36 balls, in ODI and T20 cricket altogether.
The Pakistan all-format captain has scored 92 runs off 72 balls against India in four T20Is he has played against them, getting out on three occasions.
As for Bumrah, he has conceded 62 runs in 10 overs and has picked up 3 wickets in 3 T20Is he has played against the Men in Green.
Babar’s T20 record vs Bumrah:
| Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| 13 | 10 | – | 4 | 1 | 0 | 130.0 | – |
Saim Ayub vs Umran Malik
Two of the most exciting upcoming talents from both countries are India’s pace sensation, Umran Malik, and Pakistan’s swashbuckling top-order batter, Saim Ayub. Both players have made a name for themselves in recent times with both stars impressing in IPL and PSL respectively.
Umran is India’s fastest-ever bowler and has taken the pace bowling world by storm over the past year. He finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2022, picking up 22 wickets at an average of 20.18 and an economy rate of 9.03 in 14 matches.
Umran’s T20 record against left-handed batters is immaculate, having dismissed left-handers on 12 occasions while conceding 240 runs at an average of 20.00 and an economy rate of 7.95 in 23.3 overs.
Here is Umran’s IPL and T20I record:
| Type | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy Rate |
| Right-Hand | 62 | 616 | 25 | 24.64 | 9.94 |
| Left-Hand | 30.2 | 240 | 12 | 20.00 | 7.95 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 856 | 37 | 23.13 | 9.28 |
As for Saim Ayub, he took PSL 8 by storm as he finished as the seventh-highest run scorer with 341 runs at an average of 28.41 and a strike rate of 165.53 in 12 matches. Saim scored five half-centuries and smashed 17 sixes in his breakout year in Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament.
Overall, Saim has scored 483 runs during his stints with Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, and Rangpur Riders in franchise T20 cricket. Out of those, he has scored 29 runs off 22 balls against right-arm fast bowlers, without being dismissed. He has scored 160 runs off 112 balls against right-arm medium pacers, getting dismissed six times. His record against express pace shows his promise to succeed in front of fiery pacers at the international level.
Here is Saim’s franchise T20 record:
| Type | Innings | Runs | Balls | Outs | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| Right-arm Fast | 4 | 29 | 22 | – | 2 | 2 | 131.8 | – |
| Overall | 21 | 483 | 338 | 21 | 55 | 20 | 142.9 | 23.00 |
Shadab Khan vs Suryakumar Yadav
Shadab Khan’s leg-spin against the unorthodox batting of Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) would make for an exceptional viewing as both star players would be looking to dominate each other on the cricketing field.
Shadab is one of the most highly-revered spin bowlers in T20 cricket and has established himself as one of the most important players in Pakistan’s T20 side. The Islamabad United captain has so far picked up 98 T20I wickets in his career, with three of those coming against India in four matches.
The leg-spinner has been sensational against India, picking up 3 wickets and conceding only 93 runs, with an economy rate of 5.81.
Overall, Shadab has picked up 237 wickets in franchise T20s and T20Is, 169 of them being right-handed batters.
As for SKY, he is currently ranked the number one T20 batter in the world and is one of the most sought-after T20 players in world cricket. For all of his magnificent batting performances, SKY has suffered against Pakistan. He has only scored 57 runs against the Green Jerseys, being dismissed four times in the process.
His ability to dominate leg spin is a whole other story though. He has only been dismissed 22 times in 84 innings he has played against leg-spinners, scoring 727 runs at a strike rate of 145.11.
The two players have faced each other in two matches with SKY scoring 18 runs off 14 balls without being dismissed against Shadab. He has played four dot balls while smashing two boundaries as well.
Here is SKY’s record against Shadab:
| Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| 18 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 128.6 | – |
Azam Khan vs Kuldeep Yadav
IPL 2022’s fifth-highest wicket-taker, Kuldeep Yadav was one of the star bowlers in India’s premier T20 tournament. Kuldeep’s ability to trouble right-handed batters with his left-arm wrist spin is well-documented, which makes him one of India’s most dangerous spinners in T20 cricket.
Out of his 114 T20 wickets, 70 have been taken against right-handed batters. Kuldeep’s economy rate against right-handed batters is 7.58 which is much better than his economy rate of 8.07 against left-handers. This makes him one of the most potent bowlers against right-handers.
Here is Kuldeep’s IPL and T20I record:
| Type | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy Rate |
| Right-Hand | 211.1 | 1,601 | 70 | 22.95 | 7.58 |
| Left-Hand | 113.2 | 913 | 44 | 20.75 | 8.07 |
| Overall | 324.3 | 2,514 | 114 | 22.05 | 7.75 |
As for Azam Khan, he is highly-revered as one of the best spin hitters in world cricket. Azam has a reputation for taking the spinners to the cleaners and due to this, he has established himself as one of the most in-demand T20 players across the globe.
Azam was one of the best performers in the recently concluded PSL 8. He scored 282 runs at an average of 40.28 and a strike rate of 161.14 in the nine innings he played in the tournament. Azam’s ability to hit spin is his biggest asset.
He has been dismissed only 21 times in 68 innings against all types of spin bowling. In those 68 innings, he has scored 699 runs at a strike rate of 136.26. Against left-arm wrist spin specifically, Azam has scored 41 runs off 26 balls without being dismissed in four innings.
Here is Azam’s franchise T20 and T20I record:
| Type | Innings | Runs | Balls | Outs | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| Pace | 67 | 1,086 | 749 | 49 | 94 | 61 | 145.00 | 22.16 |
| Spin (all) | 68 | 699 | 513 | 21 | 51 | 46 | 136.26 | 33.29 |
| Left-arm Spin | 4 | 41 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 157.7 | – |
| Overall | 82 | 1,826 | 1,299 | 72 | 145 | 107 | 140.57 | 25.36 |
Haris Rauf vs Hardik Pandya
Two of the best from their respective nations, Haris Rauf and Hardik Pandya have established themselves as two of the top T20 cricketers in world cricket. While Haris has witnessed a steep rise in the cricketing world, Pandya has slowly developed into one of the best all-rounders in world cricket.
Pandya’s exceptional development as a T20 batter has proved to be beneficial for his country and his IPL team. His ability to hit big or anchor the innings when required has made him one of the most feared T20 batters.
Rauf, on the other hand, is arguably the greatest death-overs bowler in the world and his ability to disrupt the opposition batting unit on regular occasions has made him a worldwide star.
Both players have faced each other on three occasions in T20 cricket. Haris Rauf has a clear upper hand over Pandya having dismissed him once while conceding only 22 runs off 19 balls.
Here is Pandya’s record against Rauf:
| Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| 22 | 19 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 115.8 | 22.00 |
Mohammad Rizwan vs Mohammed Shami
Mohammad Rizwan is one of the most consistent performers in T20 cricket. He finished as the leading run scorer in PSL 8 with 550 runs in 12 innings. Rizwan also managed to up his strike rate in the ongoing edition, displaying an attacking side that the Pakistani cricket fans demanded.
As for Mohammad Shami, he finished as the seventh-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2022, picking up 20 wickets at an average of 24.40 and an economy rate of 8.00 in the 16 matches for Gujarat Titans’ title-winning campaign.
The two players have only faced each other during Pakistan’s 10-wicket win over their arch-rivals in the 2021 T20 World Cup. On that occasion, Rizwan scored 30 runs on 14 balls against Shami, smashing him for four boundaries and a six.
Here is Rizwan’s record against Shami:
| Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| 30 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 214.3 | – |
Ihsanullah vs KL Rahul
India’s stylish opening batter, KL Rahul has been heavily criticized for his poor run of form in T20Is. Nevertheless, Rahul’s ability to consistently perform in the IPL is a huge positive for his franchise, the Lucknow Super Giants.
Rahul finished as the 2nd highest scorer in IPL 2022, scoring 616 runs at an average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 135.38 in 15 matches.
Rahul’s ability to play express pace is one of his biggest strengths as well. He averages 52.3 and has only been dismissed 12 times in 47 innings against right-arm pace bowlers in IPL history.
Here is Rahul’s record in IPL and T20Is:
| Type | Innings | Runs | Balls | Outs | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| Right-arm Pace | 77 | 901 | 667 | 21 | 90 | 39 | 135.08 | 42.90 |
| Overall | 167 | 6,152 | 4,483 | 141 | 518 | 263 | 137.23 | 43.63 |
As for Pakistan’s latest pace sensation, Ihsanullah has taken the PSL 8 by storm. He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets at an average of 15.77 and an economy rate of 7.59 in the 12 matches he played in the competition.
His express pace, coupled with extra bounce makes him a nightmare for the batters. Ihsanullah’s record against right-handed batters is exceptional. Out of his 22 PSL 2023 wickets, 19 were of right-handed batters, coming in at an average of 11.70 and an economy rate of 7.04.
Here is Ihsanullah’s PSL record:
| Type | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy Rate |
| Right-Hand | 31.4 | 223 | 19 | 11.70 | 7.04 |
| Left-Hand | 17.2 | 148 | 4 | 37.00 | 8.54 |
| Overall | 49.0 | 371 | 23 | 16.1 | 7.57 |
Mohammad Haris vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Mohammad Haris has provided a breath of fresh air to the Pakistani T20 batting unit. The youngster has shouldered the responsibility at the top of the order and has showcased his fearless approach throughout his young career.
His ability to take on the opposition bowling unit regardless of the type of bowler or conditions on offer has made him one of the most important team members in T20 cricket.
During the recently concluded PSL 8, Haris showed his ability to play at any position in the batting unit and also demonstrated his ability to hit spin as he smashed both Shadab Khan and Rashid Khan in the PSL playoffs.
Haris has scored 86 runs on 47 balls in nine innings while being dismissed four times against leg-spinners in his T20 and T20I career.
Here is Haris’ record in franchise T20 and T20Is:
| Type | Innings | Runs | Balls | Outs | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| Right-arm leg break | 9 | 86 | 47 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 182.98 | 21.50 |
| Overall | 25 | 683 | 399 | 25 | 65 | 38 | 171.18 | 27.32 |
Yuzvendra Chahal, despite not featuring for India regularly, finished as the leading wicket-taker in last year’s IPL. Chahal picked up 27 wickets at an average of 19.51 and an economy rate of 7.75 in 17 matches in IPL 2022.
Chahal’s record against Pakistan in T20Is is a poor one. He has picked up just one wicket while conceding 75 runs at an economy rate of 9.38 in the two matches he has played against the Men in Green.
Have a look at Chahal’s record in IPL and T2oIs:
| Type | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Average | Economy Rate |
| Right-Hand | 541.3 | 4,091 | 184 | 22.23 | 7.56 |
| Overall | 784.5 | 6,100 | 263 | 23.19 | 7.78 |
Naseem Shah vs Rohit Sharma
Finally, it’s down to the last matchup and we have saved a great one for you. Naseem Shah vs. Rohit Sharma is one matchup that will get the fans out of their seats. Sharma, one of India’s best white-ball batters, is one of the most dangerous T20 batters in world cricket currently.
Naseem Shah, on the other hand, has established himself as one of the integral cogs in Pakistan’s T20 setup and is highly regarded as one of the finest pacers in world cricket currently.
Naseem’s ability to take wickets in his first spell while Sharma’s ability to take the charge from the off makes this an intriguing battle. Both players have faced each other twice in T20 cricket. Sharma has scored only 13 runs off nine balls, including one boundary and one maximum, without being dismissed by Naseem.
Here is Sharma’s record against Naseem:
| Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate | Average |
| 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 144.4 | – |
What other matchups between PSL and IPL stars would you like to see? Write down your suggestions in the comments!
