The Pakistan Super League is one of the premier cricket leagues in the world. It is known for producing top-quality fast bowlers, which makes it a solid place in the world to face quality bowling. But to face these fast bowlers and get runs requires even more solid skills. Therefore, Batters come with full preparations and score runs against these fast bowlers. In PSL 2023, Many batters showed brilliant performances to enter the top batters’ chart of that season. Let’s deep dive into looking back at the PSL Top Scorer 2023: Full List, Stats, and Standout Moments.
The 2023 Run King: Who Led the PSL with the Bat?
The Official Top Scorer of PSL 2023
Muhammad Rizwan was the highest run scorer in PSL 2023. He scored 550 runs for Multan Sultan in PSL 2023. Due to his crucial performances with the bat, Multan Sultan reached their third consecutive PSL final. Rizwan took 12 innings to reach 550 runs with a brilliant average of 55. He was also leading Multan Sultan since 2021. Rizwan gained momentum in the first innings of PSL 2023 against Lahore Qalandars. He scored 75 runs against the Lahore Qalandars. Unfortunately, Multan started their 2023 PSL campaign with a loss. However, Rizwan stated that he would be very dangerous for the opponent with his batting performances. And he did that with his brilliant form in PSL 2023 with the bat.
In the 3rd game of the Multan Sultan’s PSL 2023 campaign against Peshawar Zalmi, Rizwan scored 66 runs to secure the team’s second win of the season. In the 11th game of the PSL 2023 against Karachi Kings, Rizwan scored his first-ever PSL century. He scored 110* and took the total of his side to 196. That game was one of the thrilling games of the season, which went up to the last over. But the highlight of that game was Rizwan, who managed to score his first-ever PSL century.
| Metric | Value |
| Matches / Innings | 12 innings |
| Runs scored | 550 runs |
| Highest score | 110* |
| Centuries | 1 |
| Half-centuries | 4 fifties |
| Batting average | 55.00 |
| Strike rate | 142.85 |
| Awards / Notes | He was named in the PSL 2023 “Team of the Tournament.” |
Besides his average and runs in PSL 2023, Rizwan’s strike rate was higher than he usually plays in T20 cricket. It is a topic of debate that Rizwan plays slowly in T20 cricket, but in that season, he significantly improved his strike rate. His strike rate in PSL 2023 was almost 145. Coupling with 55 average of that season, Rizwan was a lethal batter for Multan Sultans against his opponent. Therefore, Multan Sultans secured their place in the PSL 2023 playoffs after playing seven group games. In the last 3 group games of Multan Sultan, the Sultans failed to win any game. However, in the playoffs, Multan Sultan gained momentum and won against Lahore Qalandars to reach the final for the third time in the PSL. Muhammad Rizwan played a crucial role in the Multan Sultans’ success. He was also leading the side and became the first Pakistani captain to take his side to the PSL final.
Complete Top 10 Run-Scorers of the Season
| Rank | Player | Runs | Batting Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
| 1 | Mohammad Rizwan | 550 | 55.00 | 142.86 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Babar Azam | 522 | 52.20 | 145.40 | 1 | 5 |
| 3 | Rilee Rossouw | 453 | 45.30 | 171.59 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Fakhar Zaman | 429 | 33.00 | 160.67 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Imad Wasim | 404 | 134.67 | 170.46 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Mohammad Haris | 350 | 31.82 | 186.17 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Saim Ayub | 341 | 28.42 | 165.53 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | Tom Kohler-Cadmore | 325 | 32.50 | 160.10 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | M Guptill | 310 | 38.75 | 150.48 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Colin Munro | 298 | 27.09 | 169.31 | 0 | 2 |
That is the complete chart of the top 10 batters of PSL 2023. Muhammad Rizwan, previously discussed, was the highest run scorer in PSL 2023. Babar Azam was the 2nd highest run scorer in PSL 2023. He made a massive shift from Karachi Kings to Peshawar Zalmi. In his first season with Peshawar Zalmi, he scored 522 runs. Rilee Rossouw was the 3rd highest run scorer in PSL 2023. He scored 453 runs for Multan Sultans in that season.
Fakhar Zaman was the leading run scorer for Lahore Qalandars and the overall fourth-highest run scorer in PSL 2023. He scored 429 runs in PSL 2023 and helped the Lahore Qalandars lift their second PSL title. Captain of Karachi Kings, Imad Wasim, was in 5th position in the highest run scorer list. He scored 404 runs in PSL 2023 and fought really hard for his side. However, unfortunately, his side was unable to reach the top 4 in PSL 2023.
Three talented and aggressive batters from Peshawar Zalmi occupied the next three positions. Haris was standing in 6th position as he scored 350, with Saim Ayub in 7th position with 341 runs in PSL 2023. English Batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore scored 325 runs for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2023 and registered his name in 8th position on the overall highest run scorer in PSL 2023. The two experienced New Zealand batters occupied the next two positions. Martin Guptill scored 310 runs for Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2023, including one hundred against Karachi Kings. Colin Munro scored 298 runs for Islamabad United in PSL 2025 and became the 10th-highest run scorer in PSL 2025.
These top 10 batters achieve the best from the pitch and score crucial runs for their side. Two batters from Multan Sultans were in 1st and 3rd positions of the highest run scorers. It demonstrated the importance of batting performances in achieving success in a particular tournament. Fakhar Zaman was the highest run scorer for Lahore Qalandars. He was the only batter for Qalandars to be named the top run scorer in PSL 2023. He was the backbone for the Lahore Qalandars to become the first franchise to win two consecutive PSL titles, a feat achieved for the very first time. His contributions were valuable, and he helped Lahore Qalandars to achieve that goal.
How His Runs Made a Difference
After analyzing the performances of the top 10 batters of PSL 2023, it is clear that crucial runs from batters are very important. Now, out of 10 players, seven are from the sides that were the top 3 teams in the PSL. On the other side, Multan Sultan’s batting department was in form. That is why they got the edge and reached the final of PSL 2023. Additionally, their captain became the highest run scorer, which is crucial for the side to have self-belief in themselves.
Fakhar Zaman holds the responsibility to lead the batting department of Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2023. And he did that really well, his important century against Islamabad United won the important game for Lahore Qalandars. Babar Azam registered himself as the 2nd-highest runs scorer in PSL 2023. His important contributions were valuable as he joined the new franchise in that season. But he played with full confidence and scored 522 runs in PSL 2023.
Rilee Rossouw was the 3rd highest run scorer. He scored an important 100 against the Peshawar Zalmi to chase down the big total of 242. That game proved to be crucial at the end of the group stage for Multan Sultans. So, the little contributions from batters in every game made a massive difference for their sides at the end of the tournament. Martin Guptill scored a century under pressure and won the valuable game against Karachi Kings. Imad Wasim showed courage to win the important game for Karachi Kings. But unfortunately, he did not find any help from the other end. Therefore, his side failed to qualify for the PSL 2023 playoffs.
Turning Points and Big Innings: How the Scoring Race Played Out
The Innings That Defined His Campaign
Muhammad Rizwan was the most critical player for Multan Sultan in PSL 2023. He was the leader of the side and also the main batter in the lineup. He fulfills his responsibilities and delivers high-quality performance. He scored 550 runs for his side in that season. He played the role of anchoring the innings and scoring the runs at the right pace for his side. Against Karachi, Rizwan scored his first-ever PSL century.
Due to his impactful performances that season, he led his side to a 3rd consecutive final in the PSL. Unfortunately, the Multan Sultans lost the final by just one run to the Lahore Qalandars. But Rizwan showed why he got picked by Multan Sultans in 2021. He held the dual responsibility for Multan Sultans in PSL 2023 by leading and batting. And he did that task with full focus and courage for Multan Sultans.
Muhammad Rizwan scored an important 55 runs on 29 balls against Quetta Gladiators to set the highest target of PSL history. Rizwan was the captain of the side, and his impactful performances for Multan Sultans built confidence among his players to do well in PSL 2023. These performances were crucial for Rizwan and Multan Sultans as well, enabling them to reach the PSL 2023 final. His teammates, especially Foreign players Rilee Rossouw and Kieorn Pollard, praised the batting and captaincy of Muhammad Rizwan in PSL 2023.
Who Was Chasing Him? The Mid-Season Race for the Orange Cap
Babar Azam was in full competition with Muhammad Rizwan for the best batsman of PSL 2023. He was the top run scorer, but his side failed to qualify for the PSL 2023 final. Therefore, Rizwan secured an extra game and became the highest run scorer in PSL 2023.
One thing that was very important for Muhammad Rizwan at that time was that he scored runs from the beginning of the tournament. Where Babar struggled to score runs in the first few games, Rizwan scored two fifties in his first three games for Multan Sultans in PSL 2023. That set him ahead of Babar Azam. However, Babar Azam found his form in mid-season and scored valuable runs in PSL 2023 for Peshawar Zalmi.
So, that was an exciting and thrilling competition in which Fakhar Zaman joined in mid-season. But due to some average performances in a few games, Fakhar Zaman fell behind in that race. But Babar Azam and Rizwan faced major competition till the playoffs. In the playoffs, Babar Azam had two games to get ahead of Rizwan, but he failed to score more runs than him. Muhammad Rizwan was way ahead since the start of the tournament by scoring valuable and crucial runs for Multan Sultans throughout the season.
That was an exciting face-off between the two players in PSL 2023. In the first week, Rizwan dominated the highest run scorer chart in PSL 2023. But after that, Babar Azam took over the role of replacing Muhammad Rizwan. That was an exciting faceoff between them, which heightened the excitement of PSL 2023.
Venue-wise Breakdown: Where He Scored the Most
Rizwan scored most of his runs in Multan because he played five games at that venue. The Multan Cricket Stadium was the home ground of the Multan Sultans. Multan Sultans played five games in PSL 2023. And Muhammad Rizwan scored most of his runs in that venue.
After Multan, Rizwan delivered his best performance at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Rawalpindi cricket stadium was heaven for the batter. Multan Sultans chased more than 240 runs against Peshawar Zalmi. Multan set the highest target at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, which remains the highest score in an innings to date.
Rizwan played only one game in Karachi. In Lahore, Multan Sultans played three games in which Rizwan’s performance was impressive. However, comparing Rizwan’s performances across all PSL 2023 venues, Multan Sultans proved to be his lucky stadium in terms of scoring runs.
He scored the first-ever PSL century at the Multan Cricket Stadium against the Karachi Kings. Additionally, it was the home ground for Multan Sultans, where Rizwan and his team received massive support. Therefore, the Multan Sultans won 4 out of 5 games at the Multan Cricket Ground.
The Contenders Behind the King: Other Top Batters of 2023
Young Guns Who Rose to the Occasion
There were many new names in the list of top players of PSL 2023. Saim Ayub delivered an impressive performance for Peshawar Zalmi, becoming the 7th-highest run scorer in PSL 2023. He scored 341 in his PSL 2023. Beside him, Muhammad Haris showed impressive performances for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2023. He scored 350 with an important innings in the playoffs against Islamabad United.
Abdullah Shafique was one of the best talents found in PSL 2023. He played a crucial innings in the PSL 2023 final against Multan Sultans, which helped his side to win their 2nd consecutive PSL title. Mirza Baig was another notable name who played a crucial innings against Peshawar Zalmi in Eliminator II of PSL 2023. With performances of both player, Lahore Qalandars increased their chances of winning PSL 2023.
Impactful and powerful, Azam Khan showed impressive performances for Islamabad United in PSL 2023. He made 282 runs, making him 2nd second-highest run scorer for Islamabad United in PSL 2023. He strengthened Islamabad United’s power-packed squad for PSL 2023.
Veteran Stars Who Stayed Consistent
Besides these youngsters, many experienced players showed brilliant performances for their sides in PSL 2023. Babar Azam is a good example who was a few runs behind Muhammad Rizwan. He scored 522 runs for Peshawar Zalmi in his first season of PSL for that franchise.
Fakhar Zaman is another name who scored 429 runs for Lahore Qalandars to help them secure the 2nd PSL title. Imad Wasim was in top form in PSL 2023. He was the only player in the top 10 highest run scorers list of the PSL 2023 who batted in the lower-middle order. He scored 404 runs for the Karachi Kings in PSL 2023, including his highest score of 92 not out. He took Karachi Kings close to winning, but failed to do so as he did not receive support from the other end.
Top Overseas Performers
Many overseas batters showed impressive performances in PSL 2023. Rilee Rossouw scored 453 and became 3rd third-highest runs scorer in PSL 2023. He scored 453 runs for Multan Sultans in PSL 2023. Beside him, Tom Kohler-Cadmore scored 325 runs and stabilized the middle-order of Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2023.
Martin Guptill scored 310 runs in PSL 2023 for Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2023. He also scored a century against Karachi Kings, which made him one of the top performers in PSL 2023. Beside him, Colin Munro put in a remarkable performance while playing for Islamabad United in PSL 2023. He scored 298 runs for Islamabad United in PSL 2023 and helped his side reach Eliminator I.
Kieron Pollard scored 260 runs for Multan Sultans. He delivered excellent performances for his side, helping them reach their 3rd consecutive final. These players are experienced in playing in the PSL. All players proved their worth playing in PSL 2023 for their respective sides. The effort that they put into winning games for their sides in PSL 2023 was just phenomenal.