Pakistan Super League (PSL) is one of the most esteemed T20 world leagues in recent times as it began way back in 2016. In a sports regime too frequently ball-basher-restricted batting, bowlers themselves are those who too often determine last game and series outcomes. Throughout the existence of the PSL, there has been a core group of bowlers who stand out from their peers, with better consistency, ability, and adaptability across a couple of seasons and types of conditions in Pakistan and the UAE. These franchise heroes have become stars as wicket-takers whose match-winning performance most often is the difference between victory and defeat. From the incredible tale of Hasan Ali becoming the first PSL bowler to reach the milestone of 100 wickets, to new names such as Haris Rauf establishing himself, the league has managed to attract both world renowned superstars and Pakistani bowling talents to their home country. The diversity of bowling by these best performers—vocal pace, sensitive spin, devious variations, and strategic brains—mirrors the rich brocade of excellence bowling that has swept the PSL. This article lists the best 10 wicket-takers in PSL history, their impact, evolution, and the attributes that have established them as the finest bowlers in PSL history. Top 10 Players with Most Wickets in PSL History Player Span Mat Inns Balls Overs Mdns Runs Wkts BBI Ave Econ SR 4 5 Hasan Ali (IU/KK/PZ) 2016-2025 87 86 1972 328.4 2 2640 118 4/15 22.37 8.03 16.71 5 - Wahab Riaz (PZ) 2016-2023 88 87 1973 328.5 3 2563 113 4/17 22.68 7.79 17.46 1 - Shaheen Shah Afridi (LQ) 2018-2025 75 75 1707 284.3 4 2287 109 5/4 20.98 8.03 15.66 3 2 Shadab Khan (IU) 2017-2025 88 87 1890 315.0 1 2397 99 5/28 24.21 7.60 19.09 2 1 Faheem Ashraf (IU/QG) 2018-2025 75 73 1415 235.5 1 2017 79 6/19 25.53 8.55 17.91 1 1 Mohammad Amir (KK/QG) 2016-2025 78 77 1719 286.3 6 2193 77 4/25 28.48 7.65 22.32 3 - Mohammad Nawaz (IU/KK/QG) 2016-2025 85 84 1630 271.4 1 2071 72 4/13 28.76 7.62 22.63 1 - Imad Wasim (IU/KK) 2016-2025 94 90 1785 297.3 2 2086 70 5/23 29.80 7.01 25.50 - 1 Haris Rauf (LQ) 2019-2025 61 61 1369 228.1 - 2096 69 4/23 30.37 9.18 19.84 1 - Usama Mir (KK/MS) 2016-2025 48 48 1030 171.4 - 1417 63 6/40 22.49 8.25 16.34 - 1 Top 10 Players with Most Wickets in PSL History Descriptions Hasan Ali (118 wickets) Image Source : PCB Hasan Ali leads the PSL wicket-takers with 118 wickets, over a stellar career in various franchises such as Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, and Peshawar Zalmi. His new-ball swing skill complemented by clever slower balls in death overs have made him the best of a T20 bowler. Hasan's biggest strength is his versatility—evolving from a conventional swing bowler to crafting smart variations that thrive on Pakistani conditions. His strike rate figure of 16.71 describes a sixth sense for derailing partnerships at the worst possible time. Most deserving of credit is the way he brings consistency in variable conditions, playing at the same level of intensity while bowling in UAE as well as Pakistan. Hasan's five four-wicket performances are the most by any bowler in PSL history, testing his capability to demolish batting lineups single-handedly when he is at his best. Also Read | Top 7 Beautiful WAGs of Cricketers in IPL 2025 Wahab Riaz (113 wickets) Image Source : AFP Left-arm fireball Wahab Riaz is second on the all-time PSL wickets list with 113 wickets, playing his PSL career from 2016 to 2023 with Peshawar Zalmi. The raw rhythm with reverse swing prowess of Wahab made him among the most feared bowlers in PSL history. His economy of 7.79 is especially notable for a bowler who was constantly toiling in the powerplay and death overs that carried a high reward. Wahab's endurance in the tournament is a proof of his good fitness along with an ability to modify his bowling style as his career progressed. Famous for his fiery celebrations and capacity to deliver when chips are down, Wahab's career-best bowling figures of 4/17 against Multan Sultans in 2019 were proof of his capacity to strike a balance between speed and accuracy when the stakes were extremely high. Shaheen Shah Afridi (109 wickets) Image Source : PSL Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has taken 109 wickets for Lahore Qalandars only since 2018, and he has become the franchise's talisman and later captain. Shaheen is different from other pace bowlers due to the deadly mixture of height, pace, and new-ball seam movement—providing the ideal combination which has produced the best strike rate (15.66) of PSL's leading wicket-takers. His two five-wicket hauls are proof of his capacity to single-handedly destroy oppositions, his highest of 5/4 against Multan Sultans being the most economical PSL five-wicket haul in history. Shaheen's transformation under the PSL from raw material to world class is proof by itself of the tournament's nature as a proving ground for Pakistan bowling talent. As the most junior of the top three bowlers, his improvement indicates that one day he will sit at the top of the PSL wicket-taking chart. Shadab Khan (99 wickets) Image Source : PSL Islamabad United all-rounder Shadab Khan has taken 99 wickets since 2017 and perhaps the most valuable PSL spinner ever. Shadab's greatest strength is that he is never-off an even-effective powerplay, middle-over, death batsman in himself because of his valuable batting contribution as well. His leg-spinner combinations, most importantly a extremely well hidden googly, have baffled batsmen week after week during the past nine years. His 7.60 economy rate equalling some of the finest amongst the heaviest work-charged tournament leaders shows his hold even in trying hard heavily muscle-yoting batting icons. His top returns of 5/28 against Lahore Qalandars showcased his ability for taking benefit from good weather conditions whenever presented to him. Aside from the numbers, Shadab's intellect was finally rewarded to the extent that he was entrusted with Islamabad's captaincy, becoming one of the handful of bowlers who could maintain leadership responsibilities along with first-class bowling performances. Faheem Ashraf (79 wickets) Image Source : PSL Medium-pace medium-fullfilling Faheem Ashraf has picked 79 wickets for Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators since 2018. His bowling is ideally suited for middle overs and death—characterized by judicious change of pace and seam movement. Faheem's individual best bowling return of 6/19 are the second-best PSL bowing performance ever against Lahore Qalandars in 2019. Faheem's bowling achievements are complemented by the fact that he is also a decent performer with bat for scoring important lower-order runs, besides bowling, and thus is one of the most well-rounded PSL all-rounders. His strike rate of 17.91 shows a capacity to break partnerships regularly, troubling batsmen who'd rather accelerate the game towards the latter stages of an innings. Faheem's PSL career graph is proof of the manner in which the tournament has shaped budding local players into international-standard players. Mohammad Amir (77 wickets) Image Source : PCB Left-arm pace talent Mohammad Amir has picked up 77 wickets playing for Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators since the start of the PSL in 2016. Amir's biggest strength still is his unbelievable new ball both-ways skill at reasonable pace, which makes powerplay overs especially lucrative for him. His 6 maiden overs—the highest by PSL's leading wicket-takers—are a proof of his faultless control even when batsmen are willing to do anything to score. While he sometimes has a problem being consistent, Amir's temperament in high-pressure games has yielded enough match-winning performances in playoff situations. His three four-wicket hauls are a testament to his best-ness as a bowler who can single-handedly destroy batting lineups at his best. As he gained experience, Amir evolved into an immense repository of slow balls and yorkers to develop from a predominantly new-ball bowler into an all-rounder T20 bowler with finesse in every part of an innings. Mohammad Nazaw (72 wickets) Image Source : ESPN Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz is a consistent bowler who had taken 72 wickets for Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, and Quetta Gladiators throughout his PSL career. Nawaz's bowling style is accuracy with infinitesimal changes in pace and elevation, and he finds it particularly helpful on tracks providing even the slightest of assistance. His 7.62 economy rate is the highest in PSL history, which goes on to indicate his capability of building pressure with dot balls even when wickets are not falling. Aside from his bowling, Nawaz's batting has also established him as one of the top all-rounders in the tournament, scoring legitimate runs consistently at the lower-middle order. His best bowling average of 4/13 was against Peshawar Zalmi, displaying his ability to become a match-winner when there is a chance for him to use his style of bowling. Nawaz is the ideal template for today's T20 spinner—mean, multi-functional, and able to contribute towards so many areas of the game. Imad Wasim (70 wickets) Image Source : Getty Images Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim has taken 70 wickets largely for Karachi Kings and on a provisional basis for Islamabad United since 2016. Imad stands out because of his mind-boggling economy rate of 7.01—the best among PSL's top 10 wicket-takers—spotlighting his stunning control especially in powerplay overs. Imad's ability to deliver good turn at the expense of precise accuracy has made him one of the toughest bowlers to aim at in the tournament's history. His 5/23 best against Lahore Qalandars was a sign of match-winning potential if conditions suit his requirements. Apart from bowling statistics, Imad's leadership qualities finally translated into successful captaincy of Karachi Kings to their 2020 championship. With time, as his career progressed, Imad became a useful lower-order batsman as well, thereby becoming one of the greatest all-rounders of PSL whose achievements went way beyond his 70 wickets. Haris Rauf (69 wickets) Image Source : PSL Pace bowler Haris Rauf has taken 69 wickets only for Lahore Qalandars since his return in 2019. Rauf's rise from tape-ball cricket hero to international star is among the PSL's greatest finds. His style of bowling is all about full speed—most frequently above 150 kph—plus deceptively disguised slower balls that have become his signature over death overs. With an economy rate of 9.18 that surpasses most on this list, Rauf's knack for taking wickets at the right moments makes him priceless. His career best of 4/23 against Karachi Kings in 2022 proved his capacity for destroying batting lineups with sheer pace and yorker accuracy. Rauf's metamorphosis from rough-rough paceman into tactical thinking quick bowler is the return on investment of expansion of the PSL for next-generation Pakistani cricketers and indicates how the league has sought to witness Pakistan's consistent fast-bowling supremacy. Usama Mir (63 wickets) Image Source : Getty Images Quality leg-spinner Usama Mir fills the final 10th place with 63 wickets for Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings from 2016. Usama Mir's bowling is accompanied by the standard leg-spin delights—flight, dip, turn—as well as the contemporary leg-spinner's arsenal of variations like an highly disguised googly. His average of 22.49 stands second among the top 10 wicket-takers and is an endorsement of his art of being able to frustrate batsmen on a consistent basis even on surfaces which are not spin-friendly the majority of the time. Usama's best bowling figures of 6/40 are the highest bowling figure in PSL history, which he got against Karachi Kings in 2023 while playing for Multan Sultans. Mir might have avoided PSL seasons occasionally, but has remained ever-reliable upon being picked, as attested to by his 16.34 strike rate, third-best among best wicket-takers. The most damning evidence concerning his life trend during the PSL, a greater than testimonial about the existence of opportunity under the league of highly skilled leg-spinners playing by T20. Also Read | Uncapped Players Who Shined in the First Week of IPL 2025 Conclusion PSL's leaders' wicket-takers list is the intriguing table as regards evolution in T20 cricket and Pakistani bowling talent consistency.The diversity of kinds of bowlers—four left-arm pacemen, three spinners, and three right-arm medium-fast bowlers—beggars belief and plays a part in demonstrating how an approach of adaptability has been an imperative requirement of bowling success in contemporary T20 cricket.The mix of specialists and all-rounders, especially the part where there were players like Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, and Mohammad Nawaz who all chipped in with good contributions with the bat and with their bowling inputs, is especially conspicuous. Their longevity is not any less impressive as are their resistances, with six of the bowlers remaining active after season one of the tournament in 2016, bearing testament to being able to bowl under differing conditions and against varying batting tendencies. These groups have proven strong enough to nullify the change of playing surfaces and the atmospheric conditions of PSL from the UAE to Pakistan and continue to be so. Most of all, perhaps, the roster shows the PSL's dual function as both a showcase for established international stars and incubator for emerging Pakistani players. The elevation of Haris Rauf from no one to global star is the promise of the event as one of new discovery, and the evolution of Shaheen Shah Afridi from talented kid to global talent is its potential for development. As the age of the PSL matures, these bowling figures will inevitably face a stern examination from Pakistan's coming crop of fast bowlers and spinners, but these ten all-time greats have set down the template as the standard-bearers of bowling excellence in Pakistan's top T20 league.