PSL 2021: 5 overseas stars who will play in Pakistan Super League for the first time

 
Shimron Hetmyer and Usman Khawaja

Pakistan Super League (PSL) is one of the major cricketing extravaganzas across the globe. Earlier, the sixth edition of PSL 2021 was suspended midway by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) amidst the COVID-19 crisis in the bubble.

Nevertheless, it’s all set to re-commence its journey from June 9 after receiving a green signal to host the remaining matches in the Emirates.

A player replacement draft was conducted to ensure the teams manage to fill in the void for the player’s who opted out of the league. The remaining matches of the season will witness a few new foreign faces in each of the teams.

Here are 5 such players who are playing for the first time in PSL:

5. Martin Guptill

Kiwi opener Martin Guptill will represent the Karachi Kings in the remainder of PSL 2021. He made himself available for the league after being excluded from the New Zealand Test squad for the England tour.

World-renowned for his batting exploits, Guptill, brings a lot of experience to the Karachi side. His destructive batting style comes in a boost in the batting lineup for the defending champions.

Guptill has played 271 T20 matches and has notched up 7757 runs in total. In T20Is specifically, he has 2939 runs in 102 matches with the highest score of 105.

4. Shimron Hetmyer

The left-handed batsman from the Caribbean is walking into this contest after some power-packed performances in the IPL. He was one of the biggest names to bag a contract in the recently conducted replacement draft.

He will provide his services to the Multan Sultans in the remaining matches. Hetmyer is well known for his explosive batting skills.

In 86 matches, he has amassed 1669 runs at a healthy strike rate of 132.9.

3. James Faulkner

One of the best all-rounders in the world, James Faulkner will be featuring for the Lahore Qalandars in PSL 2021.

He has been recently recovering from a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Big Bash League. Faulkner has also played for many IPL franchises in the past and delivered excellent results.

The T20 conqueror has 1814 runs alongside 243 scalps to his name from 211 T20 matches. He has been impressive in the franchise based leagues as well as the international arena.

2. Usman Khawaja

Australian southpaw Usman Khawaja will represent Islamabad United in the second phase of PSL.

Khawaja's heroics with the bat is preached by many. His performances at the highest of levels have startled the best in the business with the ball.

He has featured in several T20 leagues including the Big Bash League. In T20s, Khawaja has 2632 runs in 98 matches averaging at 28.9. His admission will provide a major boost of confidence to the side.

1. Brandon King

Another West Indian on the list is Brandon King. He will play alongside Australia's Usman Khawaja for the Islamabad based club.

He doesn’t have much experience of playing in the T20 leagues but has left his mark in the opportunities he has received in the Caribbean. The 26-year-old has scored 1032 runs in 52 T20s.

It will be a golden opportunity to make a mark on the bigger stage with the bat. He’s one of the major players to look out for in the league.

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