Peshawar Zalmi star batter Kusal Mendis has made Pakistan Super League (PSL) history by becoming the first overseas player to score 500 runs in a single season.
The Peshawar Zalmi opener reached the milestone in PSL 11, where he has scored 500 runs in 9 matches and 9 innings. He is currently averaging 62.50 with a strike rate of 170.64, while also registering four half-centuries and one century in the tournament.
Mendis is currently the leading run-scorer of PSL 11, putting himself at the center of the race for the tournament’s top batting honor heading into the playoffs.
Right behind him is his Zalmi captain Babar Azam, who has also enjoyed a prolific campaign. Babar has scored 485 runs in 9 matches, including three fifties and one century, at an average of 80.83 and a strike rate of 141.39.
| Player | Team | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kusal Mendis | Peshawar Zalmi | 9 | 500 | 62.50 | 170.64 | 1 | 4 | 45 | 22 |
| Babar Azam | Peshawar Zalmi | 9 | 485 | 80.83 | 141.39 | 1 | 3 | 48 | 11 |
| Fakhar Zaman | Lahore Qalandars | 8 | 401 | 57.28 | 151.89 | 1 | 4 | 48 | 12 |
| Steve Smith | Multan Sultans | 10 | 367 | 36.70 | 163.11 | 1 | 2 | 37 | 18 |
| Sahibzada Farhan | Multan Sultans | 9 | 365 | 45.62 | 168.98 | 1 | 2 | 31 | 23 |
With Peshawar Zalmi through to the playoffs, the competition between Mendis and Babar is now one of the biggest subplots of the knockout stage, with both batters still in contention to finish the season as PSL 11’s highest run-getter.
Zalmi are set to face Islamabad United in the first playoff on April 27 at the National Stadium, Karachi. The winner of that match will qualify directly for the final, while the losing side will get another chance through the Eliminator, where it will meet the winner of the second playoff between Multan Sultans and Hyderabad Kingsmen.
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