Fans are eagerly anticipating certain fresh players to display their skills and break into the national setup in the upcoming eighth edition of PSL while keeping in mind the development of rising players in PSL.
In the current edition, a few young players have already caught the attention of the cricket community and received acclaim from experts and former cricketers.
Let’s take a look at five up-and-coming players that have so far made an impression in PSL 8:
IHSANULLAH:
The performances of their rising star, Ihsanullah, have been one thing that has been fairly evident in Multan Sultans’ fantastic start to the season.
Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of the Sultans, is the batting unit’s backbone; Ihsanullah, a right-arm pacer, is the bowling unit’s soul.
In the opening PSL match against the Lahore Qalandars, Ihsanullah’s bowling abilities were put to the test.
He concluded his tenure with 37 runs given up and two wickets taken.
His best performance this season came against Gladiators in their second game, where he established himself as the season’s top wicket-taker and continues to hold that position.
With pure pace and swing, the 20-year-old pacer destroyed the Sarfaraz-led batting order, concluding his bowling spell with 5 for 12 in his 4 overs and recording his career-best bowling numbers.
In their third game against Zalmi, the speedster kept up his enthusiasm by capturing three wickets, including Babar Azam’s, which he dubbed his “dream wicket.“
Following that, the teenage bowler got 2 for 19 against Islamabad United but failed to pick up a wicket against Karachi Kings despite only giving up 17 runs in four overs.
With 12 wickets in five games at an average of 13.70 and an economy rate of 5.54, the right-arm bowler is currently the leading wicket-taker of the current edition.
ABBAS AFRIDI:
Shahnawaz Dahani’s injury in the first game gave young Abbas Afridi the opportunity to join the playing Eleven and show off his bowling potential.
After collecting two wickets and giving up 27 runs in his opening game of the year against the Gladiators, the right-arm bowler enabled his team to easily defeat the opponents.
Abbas’ next match was against the Zalmi, where he eliminated the in-form Mohammad Haris and the West Indian Rovman Powell to help his team win by 56 runs.
Against Shadab Khan’s Islamabad United, the 21-year-old bowler was at his best, decimating the opposing batting order with a spell of 4 for 22 in four overs.
The real test of Abbas’s ability to handle pressure came when he was trusted to bowl the last, most important over while Imad Wasim and Ben Cutting were on the crease for Karachi Kings.
The right-arm pacer not only stopped 22 runs from being scored in his final over by getting rid of Ben Cutting, but he also disrupted the Karachi Kings’ rhythm by eliminating Shoaib Malik earlier in the innings.
With 10 wickets in four games at an average of 13.70 and an economy rate of 9.90, the rising star is presently the second-highest wicket-taker of the season.
MIRZA TAHIR BAIG:
The Lahore Qalandars picked Mirza Tahir Baig, a slick opening batter, in the PSL 2023 selection as a rising player. In the ongoing competition, he has been assigned the duty of opening the innings alongside Fakhar Zaman.
Although the burgeoning cricketer, who began his professional career this season, hasn’t yet played a particularly large innings for his side, he has garnered attention for his abilities and demeanour.
In the opening match against the Sultans, Mirza Baig was included in the starting lineup, and his 32-run innings and 61-run partnership with Zaman enabled Qalandars earn their maiden victory.
In their second match against Karachi Kings, the opener continued to lead his team in scoring with 45 runs off 39 balls, including three boundaries and two sixes.
In their third game against Quetta Gladiators, Mirza faced one of the PSL’s most deadly bowling assaults and struck 31 from 15 balls, including four boundaries and two sixes.
In his matches against the Multan Sultans, Karachi Kings, and Quetta Gladiators, the right-hander combined with Fakhar Zaman for partnerships of 61, 40, and 49 runs, respectively.
SAIM AYUB:
The cricketing community has taken notice of Saim Ayub, the top-order batsman for Peshawar Zalmi, for his elegant strokeplay.
In the current PSL 8 season, Saim has only thus far shown his performance in one game. The left-handed batsman defeated Multan Sultans by scoring 53 runs off 37 balls, including three boundaries and the same number of maximums.
The 20-year-old batter’s polished striking and wrist use brought to mind Pakistan’s famous batsman Saeed Anwar for cricket enthusiasts.
Ramiz Raja, a former Pakistani cricketer, praised Saim for his valiant 53-run innings and declared that he and Mohammad Haris would make future starters for Pakistan’s T20 team.
IRFAN KAHN NIAZI:
Irfan Khan Niazi, a rising young prospect for the Karachi Kings, has shown flashes of brilliance in the PSL 8’s first games. Irfan has shown some bat skill and is possibly the finest fielder in the competition so far.
Irfan has already taken four catches in the tournament, all of which have been screaming receptions. In the four games he has played so far, he has demonstrated both his six-hitting talent and fielding athleticism.
The 20-year-old has also had a reliable bat. In the four innings he has played in PSL 8, he has scored 58 runs at an average of 58.00, including five enormous maximums. He also has one of the better strike rates on the Karachi side with a strike rate of 145.00.
The flashy batter is anticipating being given more bat duty so he may perform to the best of his ability in the current competition.