PSL All Matches & Schedules

The PSL season runs between the months of February and March, with each team playing matches in double round robin format; the top four teams with the best record qualify for the playoffs and culminates in the championship game, the PSL Cup Final. The league is directed out of the Pakistan Cricket Board head office in Lahore. Due to security reasons, the first season was played entirely in the United Arab Emirates. The inaugural champions were Islamabad United. Peshawar Zalmi were the 2017 PSL Champions, having defeated Quetta Gladiators in Lahore on 5 March 2017. The current champions are Islamabad United, who won the title on 25 March 2018 in Karachi.

Establishment

In September 2015, the PCB officially announced the launch of the PSL. Former Pakistani national team captains Wasim Akram and Rameez Raja signed up to promote the PSL and become brand ambassadors of the league for three years.[4]

After several years of planning and two previous failed attempts,[5][6] the league officially began on 4 February 2016 in the United Arab Emirates where Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, alongside Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, inaugurated the opening ceremony.[7] The first two seasons included five teams nominally based in Pakistani cities.[8][9] In its first season the PSL had a higher percentage of international players. The league uses a draft system for player recruitment similar to that used in many North American professional sports leagues and as opposed to the auction system used in some other T20 leagues.[10]

The PSL's official logo was launched on 20 September 2015 in a ceremony in Lahore, and was revealed by 3Di.[11] The ceremony was attended by current and retired cricketers, as well as Pakistani celebrities.

Expansion

The possibility of adding a sixth team to the league in 2017,[12] possibly in Azad Kashmir, was also under discussion, but was rejected by May 2016.[13][14][15]

Sethi announced that there would be the sixth team in next season of PSL, few days after 2017 PSL held. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra announced that the PSL administration will be approached for the participation of team FATA as the sixth team in PSL 2018. He said PSL administration will be approached for the participation of FATA team.[16][17] Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, also said to have the sixth team from Gilgit-Baltistan. PCB short-listed five names for sixth team; Faisalabad, FATA, Hyderabad, Dera Murad Jamali and Multan.[18]

The final name of the sixth team for PSL 2018 season was announced on 1 June 2017; Multan Sultans; owned by Schön Properties at $5.2 million annually.[19][20] On 10 November 2018, PCB terminated franchise agreements with the owner of Multan Sultans, Schön Properties, resulting in a new team being introduced.[21]

Islamabad United Islamabad, Capital Territory

Karachi Kings Karachi, Sindh

Lahore Qalandars Lahore, Punjab

Multan Sultans Multan, Punjab

Peshawar Zalmi Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Quetta Gladiators Quetta, Balochistan