This is the PSL 2026 Team of the Tournament. There's no selection panel, no sentiment about who's been around longest, no "but he's a PSL legend". Just the best team of the tournament according to the data.
Peshawar Zalmi won the 2026 PSL, beating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final. Aaron Hardie took four wickets and hit an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls to seal it. Sufiyan Muqeem won Player of the Tournament.
Babar Azam and Sahibzada Farhan: PSL 2026's best opening pair
Babar Azam picks himself. 588 runs at an average of 73.5 — the most runs in the tournament and the highest average of any batter who faced 200-plus balls. He's definitely returned to form and back to being a T20 run machine. His numbers at death may have been overlooked amongst his constant accumulation: 99 runs from 52 balls at a strike rate of 190. They may not be pure finisher numbers, but they're also not the result of a plodder who can't hit boundaries.
The second opener is where it gets interesting. Fakhar Zaman scored 401 runs at 57.3. He doesn't make this XI.
| Sahibzada Farhan | Fakhar Zaman | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs | 380 | 401 |
| Balls | 235 | 279 |
| Strike rate | 161.7 | 143.7 |
| Average | 42.2 | 57.3 |
| Powerplay SR | 160.4 | 151.2 |
| Sixes | 23 | 12 |
Fakhar's average is better. But Farhan scores at 161.7 to Fakhar's 143.7 — that's 18 extra runs per 100 balls. In the powerplay, Farhan's 160.4 beats Fakhar's 151.2, while he also hit 23 sixes to Fakhar's 12. When Babar Azam is anchoring one end, you want the aggressor on the other, and Farhan brings the added bonus of being a capable spin-hitter once the powerplay ends.
BKG Mendis, Shan Masood and Usman Khan: PSL 2026's middle order
BKG Mendis gets the gloves and the number three position. 550 runs while striking at 164 and averaging 55. Those are some pretty dominant figures. Overall Mendis had the second-highest run total in the tournament, the best strike rate of any batter who faced 200-plus balls, and reached at least 30 in 64% of his innings (third-best in the league). He was consistent, fast-scoring, and hard to dismiss.
Shan Masood follows at number four. He managed 367 runs at an average of 46, which may not be the most explosive set of returns in this line-up, but he scored the third-most runs against spin in the tournament — exactly what you need in the middle overs.
Speaking of the middle overs, Usman Khan was a monster in that phase and has to make this side at number five. Granted, he only batted in that position twice during the tournament, but in those two innings he scored 101 and 61 not out — 41% of his tournament runs. He struck at 192 in the middle overs, which no other player could match, while hitting a boundary every 3.9 deliveries (another league best).
Dian Forrester: PSL 2026's most dangerous death batter
Dian Forrester had a death strike rate of 216.3 from 43 balls, with 8 sixes, and was never dismissed. He is this side's finisher.
Some may argue that Hassan Khan's death SR was higher at 234.3, and he may be hard done by, but he only faced 35 balls. Abdul Samad and Michael Bracewell were other candidates for the role — especially Bracewell's spin capabilities — but neither made as strong a case as Forrester for the role of dedicated death specialist. The consistency over a 43-ball sample makes Forrester the pick.
Before moving on to the bowlers, a mention for Aaron Hardie, whose 133 runs and 11 wickets made him a genuine all-rounder who would get into most sides. He misses out because his strongest bowling role in the middle overs overlaps with two specialists who took more wickets in that same phase. So even despite his final heroics, Hardie has to watch this side from the stands.
Sufiyan Muqeem, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi: the PSL 2026 bowling attack
Wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem took 22 wickets with an economy of 7.07. He bowled 84% of his overs in the middle phase and keeps Hardie out of the side thanks to 19 wickets there. He bowled zero powerplay overs, so would bowl four overs straight in tandem with his spin twin:
Shadab Khan claimed 17 wickets in this year's PSL with a 6.80 economy rate — the best of any bowler with 150-plus balls. Like Sufiyan, he was exclusively used in the middle overs, where 16 of his wickets came. Together, Muqeem and Shadab took 38 middle-overs wickets between them and should ensure opposition line-ups stay under wraps after the powerplay.
Worth noting: Shadab bats too, and would come in at seven thanks to 173 runs from 130 balls this season.
Shaheen Shah Afridi is this side's powerplay posterboy. 70% of his balls came during the first six overs and he took 12 wickets at a 7.19 economy rate in that phase — the most powerplay wickets of any bowler in the tournament. His death economy of 11.00 means he'll be getting at least three, if not four, overs straight out of the gate.
Mohammad Ali was the tournament's second-leading wicket taker with 20. He gives this attack a second powerplay option and took 9 death wickets, so he'll be operating at the start and end of the innings.
Hunain Shah completes the XI with 17 wickets overall and a strong wicket-taking presence at the death (9 wickets, 10.28 economy). Although more expensive than others, he'll be operating after the likes of Shaheen, Shadab and Sufiyan have stifled the opposition — and his knack for taking wickets will shine through.
The PSL 2026 team of the tournament
| # | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Babar Azam (c) | Peshawar Zalmi |
| 2 | Sahibzada Farhan | Multan Sultans |
| 3 | BKG Mendis (wk) | Peshawar Zalmi |
| 4 | Shan Masood | Multan Sultans |
| 5 | Usman Khan | Hyderabad Kingsmen |
| 6 | Dian Forrester | Rawalpindiz |
| 7 | Shadab Khan | Islamabad United |
| 8 | Shaheen Shah Afridi | Lahore Qalandars |
| 9 | Mohammad Ali | Hyderabad Kingsmen |
| 10 | Hunain Shah | Hyderabad Kingsmen |
| 11 | Sufiyan Muqeem | Peshawar Zalmi |
How our XI compares to ESPNcricinfo and Wisden
ESPNcricinfo's XI has Steven Smith and Aaron Hardie where we have Sahibzada Farhan and Dian Forrester. Two different conclusions from the same tournament.
Smith averaged 44.2 from 10 innings. At a strike rate of 134.1, though, he isn't an opener who dominated a T20 competition. Farhan struck at 161.7, hit more sixes than any other opener, and was more destructive in the powerplay. By every attacking measure, it's Farhan.
Hardie is harder to argue against. 133 runs and 11 wickets is a genuine all-round contribution. But his wickets came almost entirely in the middle phase, where Muqeem (19) and Shadab (16) already operate. There's no room for a third middle-overs specialist in a four-over allocation, and Hardie doesn't bat as well as a specialist finisher would.
Wisden's XI shares six players with ours. They also go with Smith and Hardie. Same argument.
Farhan's 161.7 strike rate gets him in. Forrester's 216.3 death strike rate gets Forrester in. The numbers are the selection panel.
Frequently asked questions
Who won PSL 2026?
Peshawar Zalmi beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final. Hardie won it almost alone: four wickets to bowl HK out for 129, then an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls when Zalmi were 40/4 chasing.
Who was Player of the Tournament in PSL 2026?
Sufiyan Muqeem. He took 22 wickets at 7.07 economy, joint-leading on wickets and the more economical of the two. 84% of his overs came in the middle phase.
Who was the best batsman in PSL 2026?
Babar Azam. 588 runs at 73.5 average, the most runs in the tournament and the highest average among batters who faced 200-plus balls. His death-phase numbers (99 from 52 at 190 strike rate) show it wasn't all accumulation.
Who was the best bowler in PSL 2026?
Sufiyan Muqeem on most metrics: 22 wickets, 7.07 economy, and the most middle-phase wickets of any spinner. Mohammad Ali took 20 wickets and covered more phases. Muqeem won the award; Ali deserved more credit.
Explore the numbers behind these picks: Babar Azam · BKG Mendis · Shaheen Shah Afridi · Shadab Khan. Build your own PSL 2026 leaderboard in the Stat Builder.