PSL 2024: Top Four Batters and Bowlers to Watch Out in Playoffs

PSL 2024 has arrived at the business end, as the playoffs will be held from March 14 to March 18 at the National Stadium in Karachi. Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Sultans, Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators are qualified for the playoffs and will compete to reach the finals.

PSL 2024 playoff format will play out in four matches- Qualifier 1: the top two teams at the points table will play for a spot in the championship game. Eliminator 1: The third and fourth-place teams will play each Eliminator 2: Winner of Eliminator 1 vs Loser of Qualifier 1 Final: Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator 2

Let's evaluate the top four batters and bowlers to watch out in playoffs.

PSL 2024: Top four batters

Babar Azam has scored 498 runs in 9 innings with an average of 62.25 and a strike rate of 148.65. Babar is the top batsman of the tournament and the focal point of Peshawar's batting lineup. It wouldn't be wrong to claim that if it wasn't for Babar Peshawar wouldn't have reached the top spot. He has been in red-hot form and smashed his third consecutive fifty in the last game against Karachi.
Having played just four games, Usman has already climbed to third on the list of highest run-scorers this season in the PSL. He has scored 316 runs in just four games, while Babar sits at the top with 447 runs from eight innings and Rassie van der Dussen is second with 364 from seven knocks. His average of 158 and a strike rate of 184 are unmatched by anyone who has scored more than 100 runs this season. He has also become just the second batter in PSL history to score three hundreds after Kamran Akmal.
Colin Munro is at No. 5 with 309 runs in nine innings among the top five batters of PSL 2024. Munro is the prominent reason behind the Qualification of Islamabad for the playoffs as he played a fabulous knock of 84 off 40 balls in a do-or-die game against Multan. He has been struggling with his form earlier this season, therefore this match-winning performance becomes more significant for Islamabad.
Saud Shakeel is the leading run scorer for the Gladiators so far, with 309 runs in 9 games and has been consistent with the bat. He has struck 14 sixes so far, only less than three players (Saim, Rassie and Pollard) of the tournament. Quetta Gladiators have qualified for the playoffs for the first time in the last four years due to Shakeel's 88 off 65 balls against Lahore.

PSL 2024: Top four bowlers

Mohammad Ali is the second-highest wicket-taker among the top five with 16 wickets in nine innings. Though Usama is the top bowler of the tournament with 18 wickets in nine innings, Ali has been more critical for Multan. Ali's wickets have been the prominent batters and came at the crunch situations. He bowled a brilliant spell against Islamabad and picked Salman and Haider, though it was an expensive one as it was a run-fest.
Abrar Ahmed has been phenomenal for Quetta Gladiators with 14 wickets in eight innings. Not only, Abrar picked up wickets, but did it with an economy rate of 7.56, which is less than any other bowler. Most of Abrar's wickets are top-order batters as he bowled superbly in the powerplay this season. He took out both the openers Farhan and Baig in a high-stakes game against Lahore Qalandars.
Luke Wood has been consistent for Peshawar Zalmi with 11 wickets in nine innings and an economy rate of under eight runs. Luke Wood has picked up a wicket almost in every game. He will be looking to maintain that record in this match. Luke Wood bowled a superb spell of 1/24 against Karachi in the last game and helped Peshawar jump to the top of the points table.
Naseem Shah has surely regained his form after coming from a long-lasting injury, as he has become the highest wicket-taker for Islamabad United. He has picked ten wickets in eight innings at an economy rate of 7.66. His economical spell of 1/31 in a high-scoring thriller against Multan proved vital as almost every other bowler spent more than ten runs per over.