PCB declares the Best XI of the PSL 2021 tournament with Rizwan as the captain

Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan has been named as the captain of the Best XI of the Pakistan Super League 2021 by the PCB. Islamabad United and Multan Sultans have 3 cricketers each in this list. Two cricketers each from Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi and one player from Karachi Kings are in the top XI of the PSL 2021. None of the Quetta Gladiators players got a chance in the team.

The elite XI has been set up by commentators David Gower, Pommie Mbangwa, Ramiz Raja, and Pakistan women’s cricketer Sana Mir.

Rizwan’s team Multan Sultans have won this year’s PSL. In the final, Peshawar Zalmi lost by 47 runs and Multan won the PSL title for the first time. Rizwan, who is in great form in the International Twenty20, was also consistent in the PSL 2021. He has scored the second-highest 500 runs in 12 matches at an average of 45.45 and a strike rate of 127.87, he has also scored 4 fifties. Rizwan has made 20 dismissals as a wicketkeeper this time.

In terms of runs, Rizwan lost to Pakistan national team captain Babar Azam. Babar, who scored 554 runs in 11 matches, was the highest run-scorer in PSL 2021. However, Babar is not getting the captaincy because he did not captain the Karachi team in this season’s PSL. That responsibility was with Imad Wasim.

Hence, Babar Azam is only an opener in the PSL XI. His partner is Hazratullah Zazai as another opener, a left-arm batsman from Afghanistan. After playing only 5 matches, Zazai has made this spot in the best XI of the tournament. The left-arm opener has scored 212 runs in 5 matches at an incredible strike rate (185.96).

New Zealand’s Colin Munro, Sohaib Maqsood, Rizwan, and Asif Ali are there in the middle order. Munro has scored 285 runs in 7 matches for Islamabad United. Maqsood, the batsman of Multan Sultans, had a great time in the middle order scoring 428 in 12 matches at a strike rate of 156. Playing as a finisher for Islamabad United, Asif has scored 224 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 167.

Left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz is the leader of the bowling attack. The experienced fast bowler from Peshawar Zalmi has taken 18 wickets in 12 matches. Besides, Hasan Ali (13 wickets in 10 matches), Shaheen Shah Afridi (16 wickets in 10 matches), and Afghanistan’s leg-spinner Rashid Khan (11 wickets in 8 matches) have been included in this PSL XI.

The surprising name in the XI is 22-year-old young fast bowler Shahnewaz Dhani. The Multan Sultans’ fast bowler came to the notice by snapping up 20 wickets in 11 matches.

PSL 2021 Team of the Tournament: Mohammad Rizwan (C & WK), Babar Azam, Hazratullah Zazai, Colin Munro, Rashid Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Asif Ali, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, James Faulkner (12th man)

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