Most Wickets in PSL History

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is one of the most exciting and popular franchise-based T20 leagues in the world. In its eight-season-long history, the tournament has produced some world-class bowlers with a good mix of youth and experience. Here we have a look at the bowlers with the most wickets in PSL.

1. Wahab Riaz

The left-arm seamer has featured in every edition of the tournament playing for Peshawar Zalmi and is the first bowler to take 100 wickets in the tournament. He finished the first 2 seasons as the 2nd highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets and was part of the champion Zalmi side in 2017. 

Wahab Riaz was the joint leading wicket taker in the 2018 season taking 18 wickets, his best performance in a single PSL season which he repeated in 2021 where he took 18 again in 12 innings. In the 2023 PSL 7, he picked up 10 wickets in 11 matches finishing as the joint-highest wicket taker for Peshawar Zalmi with the team finishing 3rd in the tournament.

2. Hasan Ali

The right-arm quick bowler has picked up 94 wickets and has featured since the inception of the tournament having plied his trade for Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United. Hasan played the first 5 seasons for Zalmi alongside Wahab Riaz and got limited opportunities in the first season before becoming a mainstay after he became the 2nd highest wicket-taker for the team in 2017. 

A couple of seasons later, he was declared the bowler of the tournament as he finished with 25 wickets, the highest in the 2019 edition. In 2021, he switched his allegiance to Islamabad United and has picked up 35 wickets for his new team.

3. Shaheen Shah Afridi

Left-arm seamer Shaheen made his PSL debut for Lahore Qalandars as a 17-year-old in the 2018 edition and made waves taking 5/4 in 3.4 overs versus Multan Sultans in a league match. His ability to swing the ball both ways and take early wickets has made him one of the best bowlers in the world. He has made his name as an effective death bowler as well.

 He finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker in 2020 (17 wickets).  Shaheen Shah Afridi was the PSL 7 highest wicket-taker in 2022 taking 20 wickets and captained his side to the silverware becoming the youngest skipper to win a franchise-based T20 tournament. Qalandars won the 2023 season under his leadership again where he finished as the team’s 2nd highest wicket taker with 19 wickets.

4. Shadab Khan

Leg spinner Shadab Khan has the most wickets in PSL as a spinner. No other spinner has taken more wickets than Shabad’s 77 in the history of the PSL. He was picked up by Islamabad United and made his PSL debut in the 2nd season.

Shadab was appointed as the Islamabad captain in PSL 5. Known as an effective allrounder in the tournament, his best season with the ball was in 2022 where he led the team till the qualifiers and picked up 19 wickets. In 2023, he was Islamabad’s 2nd highest wicket-taker after Hasan Ali with 12 wickets to his name.

5. Faheem Ashraf

Another bowling allrounder, Faheem Ashraf is known to bowl tidy lines and lengths and deceive the opposition batter with his variations. He made his PSL debut in 2018 for Islamabad United and is an important member of the side. In his very first season, he finished winning the maroon cap, finishing as the leading wicket-taker of the season with 18 wickets to his name. He also won the best bowler of the season award. He was the team’s highest wicket-taker in 2019 and 2nd highest overall. His figures of 6/19 against Lahore Qalandars in 2019 are the 2nd best individual bowling performance of the tournament’s history.

6. Mohammad Nawaz

The most successful finger spinner in PSL, Nawaz made his debut in the first season for Quetta Gladiators and was the third-highest wicket-taker with 13 wickets to his name. He picked up 4/13 in a fiery 4-over spell against Islamabad United on his PSL debut. It is still his best performance in the league so far. As a left-arm spinner, he is mostly used during the middle overs phase and is known for his economic bowling. He is also used by his team as an effective middle-order batter who can accelerate the scoring rate at any given time.

7. Haris Rauf

Pakistan is always known to produce quality fast bowlers who could move the ball both ways and use the pace and bounce to good effect. Haris Rauf is one of those bowlers from the new generation who consistently hits the 150 kph mark and moves the ball both ways. Making his PSL debut in 2019, he burst on the scene in the 2nd game itself taking 4/23 against Karachi Kings while successfully defending a low score of 138/6. He finished the season with 11 wickets in 10 games. In 2022, he along with Shaheen and Zaman Khan formed a pace trio and took the team to their first-ever trophy with Haris taking 16 wickets in 13 matches.

8. Mohammad Amir

The left-arm medium pacer created history in the tournament’s second-only match becoming the first bowler to take a hat-trick in PSL. Thrice has he taken 4 or more than 4 wickets in an innings which is only second to Shaheen Shah Afridi’s tally of 5. Amir has also delivered the most number of maiden overs in PSL history with 6 maidens across 65 innings. In 2020, he picked up the most wickets for Karachi Kings (10) and played a key role in the team’s road to lifting the trophy for the first time. In 2023, he was the team’s joint leading wicket-taker with Imad Wasim with 9 scalps in 7 games to his name.

9. Imran Tahir

Born in Pakistan, the leg spinner however represented South Africa in international cricket. Playing in the Pakistan Super League was a kind of homecoming for Tahir who got immense success featuring for Multan Sultans and most recently Karachi Kings. In his first PSL season, he became the third bowler to take a hat trick as he bowled the Sultans to victory against the Quetta Gladiators in a league fixture.

Tahir was the leading wicket-taker for the side in 2018, second after Sohail Tanvir and Shahnawaz Dahani in 2020 & 2021 respectively. In 2022, he picked up 16 wickets and was the joint second-highest wicket-taker for the Sultans before shifting to Karachi Kings in 2023 where he didn’t enjoy much success.