Top performing players of HBL PSL X honoured

Express Tribune

25-05-2025

It was a night to forget for Quetta Gladiators as they fell short in the HBL PSL final against Lahore Qalandars, but the tournament belonged to young batter Hasan Nawaz, whose breakout performances earned him the Player of the Tournament award after amassing nearly 400 runs.
The 22-year-old batter, who holds the record for the fastest T20 century by a Pakistani in T20Is, lived up to expectations by scoring around 399 runs in ten innings during PSL 2025, including a century and three half-centuries, while smashing 28 sixes.
Although he finished as the third-highest run-scorer of the tournament — behind Sahibzada Farhan (449) and Fakhar Zaman (439) — it was Hasan Nawaz's ability to perform under pressure, particularly his gritty 76 off 43 deliveries in the final, that earned him both the Best Batter and Player of the Tournament awards in HBL PSL 2025.
But Nawaz wasn't the only young talent to shine. Lahore Qalandars unearthed another gem at the top of the order in Mohammad Naeem, following in the footsteps of Fakhar Zaman, who also rose through their ranks.
After a quiet start, Naeem found his rhythm and ended the tournament with 314 runs, including three fifties, outperforming seasoned names like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. His efforts were recognized with the Emerging Player of the Tournament award, marking him as one of the standout discoveries of PSL 2025.
Among the bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi staged a remarkable comeback. After a quiet start to the tournament, he came alive in the crunch stages. Afridi took 10 wickets in the final four matches—including two eliminators and the final—at an average of 9.30 and an economy of 7.06. He finished as the leading wicket-taker with 19 scalps and was named Bowler of the Tournament.
In the all-rounder category, Sikandar Raza produced a memorable finish. Having landed in Lahore just 10 minutes before the toss after playing for Zimbabwe in England, Raza played a match-winning cameo in the final, smashing 22 off 7 balls* to help Lahore chase down 202 with one ball to spare. He was duly named All-Rounder of the Tournament.
Another highlight was Kusal Perera, who despite playing only a handful of matches, left a big impact. The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter delivered one of his finest T20 innings when it mattered most, hammering 62 off 31 balls in the final and earning the Player of the Match award.
Lastly, Asif Yaqoob was named Umpire of the Tournament for his consistent and composed officiating throughout PSL 2025.