Kieron Pollard races past 1,000 PSL runs: Decoding his stats
Kieron Pollard scored a remarkable half-century against Lahore Qalandars on Saturday as Karachi Kings sealed a last-ball win in Match 10 of the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL). With the help of five sixes and a boundary, he scored 58 off 33 balls as the Kings successfully chased down 176. During the course, Pollard also completed 1,000 PSL runs. Here are his stats.
A superb cameo from Pollard
The Kings were struggling at 44/4 when Pollard arrived in the middle. He joined forces with Shoaib Malik (39) as the duo added 95 runs for the fifth wicket. Pollard was the aggressor in the partnership as he took the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Jahandad Khan to cleaners. Though Pollard fell in the 16th over, his efforts eventually powered Karachi over the line.
Fourth-best average in PSL history
Having played 47 PSL games, Pollard has raced to 1,045 runs as he recorded his sixth half-century in the tournament. His average of 40.19 is only fourth to Babar Azam (44.37), Mohammad Rizwan (42.64), and Jason Roy (40.82) among batters with 1,000 or more PSL runs. His strike rate of 165.08 is only second to Luke Ronchi (166.12) among batters with 1,000-plus PSL runs.
Third-most sixes by an overseas batter
While Pollard boasts 72 maximums in PSL, only Shane Watson (81) and Rilee Rossouw (77) have cleared the fence more times among overseas batters. Overall, Pollard owns the eighth-most sixes in PSL history. This was his maiden fifty in Karachi Kings colors as he has raced to 336 runs for the franchise at 58. Besides, he has also represented Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans.
Fine form this season
Pollard has started well this season. He was criticized for managing just 28* runs off 29 balls in Karachi's opener against Multan Sultans as the latter side won by 55 runs. However, the former WI international bounced with a match-winning 49* off 21 balls in his next outing against Peshawar Zalmi. His 58 against Qalandars is hence his second match-winning knock on the bounce.
Third-most runs in T20 cricket
Last year, Pollard became the first-ever cricketer to feature in 600 T20 matches (now 654). He is the third-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket, having slammed 12,796 runs at a strike rate of 151.09 (50s: 59, 100: 1). Pollard is only behind Shoaib Malik and Chris Gayle. He has also managed 316 wickets with his medium-pace bowling at an economy of 8.23.
