PSL 11 has produced some incredible individual performances, but none quite like what Sufiyan Muqeem has been doing for Peshawar Zalmi. Match after match, over after over — this 25-year-old left-arm spinner just keeps taking wickets. And now, he has officially done something no bowler in the entire history of the Pakistan Super League has ever done before.
The Record That Has Never Been Done Before
Peshawar Zalmi’s ace spinner Sufiyan Muqeem etched his name into PSL history after becoming the first bowler ever to take three or more wickets in five consecutive matches. ProPakistani
Let that sink in. In a tournament that has been running since 2016, with dozens of world-class bowlers competing across hundreds of matches, not a single one had managed to put together five back-to-back three-wicket hauls — until now.
The 25-year-old spinner made history in Match 23 of PSL 11 at the National Bank Stadium, where his masterclass in spin bowling helped Peshawar Zalmi beat the Quetta Gladiators by eight wickets, keeping them at the top of the table. NewsX
What He Did Against Quetta — And Why It Mattered
The match against Quetta Gladiators was another clinic in bowling intelligence. Peshawar Zalmi chose to field first, and Muqeem was the key reason that decision paid off.
His fifth successive three-wicket haul spearheaded the bowling attack for Peshawar Zalmi, restricting Quetta Gladiators to 154 all out. Opening batters faltered immediately, with Ahsan Ali dismissed for four by Iftikhar Ahmed, while captain Saud Shakeel managed only 16 runs before being run out. Rilee Rossouw attempted recovery with a brisk 28 from 16 balls, but Muqeem dismissed him after a 29-run stand. TechJuice
His latest victims were Rilee Rossouw, Hasan Nawaz, and Khawaja Nafay. Muqeem picked up 3 wickets for 25 runs in four overs at the National Bank Stadium. Hasan Nawaz was the top scorer for Quetta with 37 off 35 balls, while Khawaja Nafay made 20 off 13. But both fell as Quetta failed to turn their partnerships into a commanding total. ProPakistani
154 all out was never going to be enough. Peshawar chased it down with ease, completing a dominant eight-wicket win.
The Numbers That Tell the Full Story
Statistics do not always tell the full story in cricket — but in Muqeem’s case, they barely scratch the surface of how dominant he has been.
Sufiyan Muqeem has taken at least three wickets in every Zalmi match he has played this season, excluding the washed-out game against Islamabad United. His remarkable run has also made him the leading wicket-taker of PSL 11 so far, with 16 wickets in just six matches. ProPakistani
Muqeem holds the Maroon Cap — awarded to the tournament’s leading wicket-taker — with 16 scalps. Iftikhar Ahmed of Peshawar Zalmi and Shaheen Shah Afridi of Lahore Qalandars are joint second with 10 wickets each. Wisden
To put his numbers in perspective, the all-time PSL season wicket record belongs to Hasan Ali’s 25-wicket haul in 2019. Wisden If Muqeem keeps this pace up through the playoff stage, that record is very much in his sights.
A Bowler Babar Azam Trusts Completely
Behind every great performance is a captain who believed in his bowler. And in this case, it is Babar Azam — who has been handing Muqeem the ball at the most crucial moments of each match and watching him deliver every single time.
“Whenever I give him the ball as a captain, I have confidence that he’ll pick up a wicket for me somewhere,” Babar said after the Multan match. “When he goes for the kill, he’s not a bowler who gets hit easily. In my opinion, he’s a big asset for Pakistan, and going forward, he’ll serve Pakistan a lot with the way he’s bowling.” Pakistan Today
That last line carries extra weight given Muqeem’s recent history. His performances this season came after he lost his place in the Pakistan national side despite making an encouraging start to international cricket two years ago. He claimed 27 wickets in 19 T20 Internationals at an average of 14.74 before selectors moved in another direction, forcing him to regroup. Pakistan Today
PSL 11 is his answer to everyone who wrote him off.
The Spin That Is Powering Zalmi’s Unbeaten Run
Peshawar Zalmi are the form team of PSL 11 — and their bowling attack is the main reason why. While Nahid Rana provides serious pace at both ends, it is Muqeem who holds the attack together in the middle overs when batters are looking to break loose.
The left-arm wrist spinner has regularly been brought into the attack by captain Babar Azam during the middle overs, and he has responded with frequent breakthroughs, averaging just under 10 while conceding 6.45 runs per over across five matches. Pakistan Today
According to ESPNcricinfo’s impact statistics for PSL 2026, Muqeem leads all bowlers with a bowling impact rating of 230.06 — comfortably ahead of everyone else in the tournament. ESPNcricinfo
That impact number reflects more than just wickets. It accounts for when the wickets were taken, who was batting, and what stage of the game it was. By that measure, Muqeem is not just the leading wicket-taker — he is the most match-changing bowler in the competition by a significant margin.
What This Means for Pakistan Cricket
There is a bigger picture here beyond PSL records and Maroon Caps. Muqeem’s performances are making it increasingly difficult for Pakistan selectors to ignore him when it comes to international cricket.
Babar Azam also said the spinner was still developing and remained eager to improve, suggesting there is still another level to his game. Pakistan Today
A left-arm wrist spinner who consistently takes wickets at the biggest domestic stage, against international stars including Rilee Rossouw, Steven Smith and others, and does it under pressure with the game on the line — that is exactly the kind of match-winning asset Pakistan need heading into a busy international schedule.
For now, though, the focus is on PSL 11 — and on whether Sufiyan Muqeem can keep his extraordinary streak going all the way to the final.
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