APL 2018 Records: Shahzad 344, Zazai 124, Qais 5/18

One season is an awkward record book. Every mark is both a record and a sample of one. That does not make the 2018 Afghanistan Premier League numbers soft. It makes them lonely. They will stay the league's marks until someone in December beats them, and some of them will take some beating.

Mohammad Shahzad made 344 for Paktia Panthers. Hazratullah Zazai made 322 for Kabul Zwanan, Chris Gayle 315 for Balkh Legends, Laurie Evans 305 for Zwanan, Ryan ten Doeschate 274 for Legends. The top five is two home-side batters and three overseas players. Zazai's 124 against Nangarhar Leopards on 9 October is the highest score. The stand with Luke Ronchi that day, 144, is the highest partnership in the material used here.

Bowling is thinner on this site on purpose. Isuru Udana's 17 wickets for Panthers are confirmed as the most. Qais Ahmad's 5 for 18 in the final is confirmed as the best analysis we will quote, because it is on the final scorecard. A prettier top ten, padded with figures this desk has not re-checked on a scorecard, would look complete and would be worse.

Team totals tell the month better than averages. Balkh Legends, 244 for 6 against Kabul Zwanan, 14 October. Nangarhar Leopards, 64 all out in 13.1 overs in the semi-final, 19 October. Same ground. The records page keeps both, with the source note attached.

Most sixes are not in that set. The page for them says so, instead of estimating from memory of how hard Zazai swung. When a proper ball-by-ball archive is the source, the column can be filled. Not before.