A dramatic Pakistan Super League (PSL) came to a close on Monday with several international stars putting up impressive performances as preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 heats up.

The 20-team tournament - set to be played in the Caribbean Islands and USA - is scheduled to take place in June.

Several stars from the Pakistan Super League will be in contention for selection at the T20 World Cup or are already key players in their respective international teams.

Topping the run charts in the tournament is Peshawar Zalmi’s Babar Azam, who made 569 runs in 11 matches, notably scoring at a quick rate of 142.6 opening the batting. 

The lynchpin in Pakistan’s batting line-up, Babar recently shifted base to No.3 in the T20I format, but given his recent success at the top in a much more aggressive avatar, there's a case for him to move back up the order.

Right below him in the top run-scorers chart is Mohammad Rizwan, who made over 400 runs including four fifties in the season. 

A notable rising star for the Pakistan side is Saim Ayub, who made his T20I debut last year. The stylish top-order batter not only shone with the bat, smashing 21 sixes, the most in this edition of the PSL, but also chipped in with the ball.

Bowling part-time off-spin, Ayub even brought out the carrom ball and turned the ball both ways, finishing with eight wickets to go alongside 345 runs at a strike-rate of 157.53.

Iftikhar Ahmed was in peak form for Multan Sultans, smashing runs at a strike rate of 193.28, the best for anyone to bat over five times in the tournament this season.

Pakistan Test skipper Shadab Khan scored over 300 runs at a strike-rate of 146.11, with his 14 wickets with the ball seeing the experienced all-rounder claim the Player of the Tournament award and become the first Pakistan player to score in excess of 300 runs and take more than 10 wickets in one edition of the event. 

Shadab excelled with the ball in the final, taking 3/32, including the key wickets of Rizwan and Usman Khan, to swing the contest Islamabad’s way. But in the spin bowling department for Pakistan in T20Is, he's challenged by the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, Usama Mir. 

While Usama had an ordinary tournament in India last year at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, the 28-year-old leg-break bowler topped the wickets chart with 24 wickets at PSL 2024. He has only played three T20Is for Pakistan, but his performance in the PSL could catapult him into contention for the tournament in June, where the pitches are expected to aid turn.

Retired left-armer Imad Wasim also shone with the ball during the PSL and turned in a trio of Player of the Match perfromances in the closing stages of the tournament and could be in contention for the T20 World Cup if he decides to make himself available.

Pakistan had more promising returns in the pace department where their star bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi enjoyed fine tournaments with the ball, particularly during the Powerplay. Hasan Ali and Abbas Afridi were also among the wickets.

Outside of the core group, Imad and Haider Ali also made strong impressions for Islamabad United in their run to the final. The two combined in a game-changing lower middle-order partnership in the second eliminator to help the team chase down 186 from 91/5. Imad also boasted of a good economy rate of under seven runs per over and shone in the final with a five-wicket haul.

Wicket-keeper-batter Azam Khan also continued to make waves, striking at a rate of 178.18.

Among overseas stars, South Africa duo of Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks made strong cases to be in the travelling group for the multi-team event. 

Van der Dussen, who last played in September 2023 against Australia, was in particular, impressive. The middle-order batter was in prime form for Lahore Qalandars, smashing 364 runs at an average of 72.8 and a strike-rate of 154.89. Reeza finished with 304 runs at an average of 43.42, making three fifties in eight innings.

West Indies’ Akeal Hosein had a good tournament with the ball, snaring 15 wickets in 10 matches. England's left-arm seamer Luke Wood also impressed with 12 wickets in 11 games for Peshawar. The seamer made his T20I debut in 2022, winning the Player of the Match award on debut for his 3/24, and has played five T20Is so far.