Qalandars and Sultans dominate line-up: Official PSL team of the tournament

Lahore end long wait for Pakistan Super League title after 42-run win over Multan on Sunday night

1. Mohammed Rizwan (Multan Sultans, 546 runs, 68.25 average, 126.68 strike rate) Is there any more captivating cricketer at present? Perhaps only Shaheen Shah Afridi. AFP

2. Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars, 588 runs, 45.23 average, 152.72 strike rate) Leading runscorer, with eight scores over 50 in 13 innings. AFP

3. Shoaib Malik (Peshawar Zalmi, 401 runs, 44.55 average, 137.32 strike rate) Time has no effect on the Peshawar batter. Commendably consistent. EPA

4. Shadab Khan (Islamabad United, 268 runs, 33.5 average, 162.42 strike rate; 19 wickets, 6.42 economy rate) A fine leader, scored runs, and only Shaheen Afridi took more wickets. AFP

5. Rilee Rossouw (Multan Sultans, 275 runs, 167.68 strike rate) Multan’s excellence was powered by the middle-order engine room of Rossouw and Tim David. AFP

6. Tim David (Multan Sultans, 278 runs, 194.40 strike rate) The Singapore player hit the most sixes in the competition – one every 6.8 deliveries on average. AFP

7. Khushdil Shah (Multan Sultans, 153 runs, 182.14 strike rate; 16 wicket, 6.89 economy rate) Played his role perfectly for the league’s most consistent side. AFP

8. Rashid Khan (Lahore Qalandars, 13 wickets, 6.25 economy rate) A guard of honour when he left, and Qalandars attempted to fly him back from national duty for the final, too. AFP

9. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars, 20 wickets, 7.57 economy rate) World cricket’s golden boy became a PSL winning skipper aged just 21 – a record for leading franchise events. AFP

10. Zaman Khan (Lahore Qalandars, 18 wickets, 8.26 economy rate) Only Shaheen and Shadab took more wickets than the 20-year old, and he sent down two maidens, too. AFP

11. Naseem Shah (Quetta Gladiators, 14 wickets, 8.01 economy rate) Remarkable to think this tournament marked a comeback of sorts. He did only turn 19 during it. AFP

12th man. Shan Masood (Multan Sultans, 478 runs, 39.83 average, 138.15 strike rate) Dovetails so well with Rizwan – the player who replaced him as Multan captain. AFP

Lahore Qalandars finally rid themselves of the status of franchise cricket’s lovable underachievers as they claimed the HBL Pakistan Super League title for the first time on Sunday night.

The side perennially finished last in the years that followed the competition’s inception, in the UAE in 2016.

However, all that was distant memory as they outplayed defending champions Multan Sultans at the Qadafi Stadium in their home city.

Mohammed Hafeez was player of the match after following up a 46-ball 69 with two wickets, including the prized one of Mohammed Rizwan, the Multan captain.

Lahore ended up winning by 42 runs as Shaheen Shah Afridi, at 21, became the youngest captain to win any of the world’s leading franchise events.

Judged by the official team of the tournament, this season proved the adage that batters win you matches, bowlers win you tournaments.

Each of the finalists had four players each. Three of the players from Multan were batters, while three of the Qalandars stars were bowlers.