The Pakistan Super League (PSL) stands as the premier tier of domestic Twenty20 cricket in Pakistan. Owned by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the inaugural season took place in 2016 in UAE.
At its commencement, the league comprised five teams: Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi, Islamabad United, and Lahore Qalandars. The third season in 2018 marked the inclusion of Multan Sultans as the sixth participating team.
Since its inaugural season, the league has been held annually, with each team securing the trophy at least once. The first season saw Islamabad United emerge victorious, led by Misbah ul Haq, who also captained the Pakistan national cricket team during that period. Presently, Lahore Qalandars hold the title as the reigning champions of the PSL.
On 4th February 2016, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium hosted the first match between Quetta Gladiators, led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Islamabad United, captained by Misbah ul Haq.
The Gladiators secured victory in the opening match by 8 wickets, with Mohammad Nawaz earning the Man of the Match title for his four-wicket haul and unbeaten 22 runs. Interestingly, the same teams clashed in the final on February 23rd, 2016, where Islamabad United emerged victorious, becoming the franchise's inaugural champions with a six-wicket win. West Indies' Dwayne Smith's standout performance of 73 runs off 51 balls played a crucial role in the final's outcome.
The PSL's second season commenced on February 9, 2017. The first tournament match pitted Peshawar Zalmi against defending champions Islamabad United. Decided by the Duckworth–Lewis method, Islamabad won the game with seven wickets and two balls remaining. Brad Haddin of Islamabad was named player of the match for his 73 runs.
The season's final, held at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, aimed to revive cricket in Pakistan. Despite some foreign stars opting out, the final sold out. Peshawar Zalmi faced Quetta Gladiators, with Darren Sammy and Sarfaraz Ahmed leading their respective teams. Peshawar batted first, scoring 148 runs and securing a 58-run victory over Quetta. Sammy earned the man of the match, while Kamran Akmal of Peshawar received the Player of the Series award for accumulating 353 runs throughout the tournament.
The third season of the PSL witnessed significant advancements for the league. Then PCB chairman Najam Sethi introduced a sixth team, Multan Sultans. This season marked a crucial step in the resurgence of cricket in Pakistan, as the final three games were played within the country. The board successfully brought the two eliminators to Lahore, and the final took place in Karachi.
The final featured Islamabad United led by Misbah ul Haq, champions of the first edition, against the current champions Peshawar Zalmi, led by Darren Sammy. Luke Ronchi received the Player of the series award for his outstanding performance throughout the tournament, accumulating 435 runs.
The PSL's fourth season was unveiled in September 2018, with the PCB revealing that the tournament would commence in the UAE, with eight matches scheduled for Pakistan. Both Karachi and Lahore were selected as venues, with Lahore hosting three matches and Karachi hosting five, including the final.
As in previous years, the opening ceremony took place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 14, 2019.
The initial 26 games were played in the UAE, and due to rising security concerns, all eight Pakistan-based matches were moved to Karachi.
Quetta Gladiators, appearing in their third final, emerged victorious by chasing down Peshawar Zalmi's total of 138 runs with eight wickets to spare. Mohammad Hasnain of Quetta received the man-of-the-match award for his three-wicket haul, while Shane Watson was named the player of the tournament for his outstanding 430 runs in 12 matches.
The fifth edition of the PSL marked the first season where all matches were played in Pakistan. PCB chairman Ehsan Mani, in June 2019, declared that the entire league would take place in the home country, with Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi selected as host cities. Unfortunately, the tournament was abruptly halted and indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with foreign players sent back as a preventive measure after a few matches were played without an audience.
The knockout matches were completed in November 2020 with Karachi Kings beating Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in the final
Similarly to last year, the tournament had to take place completely in Pakistan. But after 14 matches, the tournament was stopped midway citing multiple COVID-19 cases
Despite a proposal to reschedule for June in Karachi, teams requested a move to the UAE due to rising COVID-19 cases. Approval was granted, and on June 9, the tournament resumed in Abu Dhabi. Multan Sultans emerged victorious, defeating Peshawar Zalmi in the final on June 24 by 47 runs, clinching their first title.
Featuring six teams in a double round-robin format with stringent COVID-19 protocols, the league commenced on 27th January 2022, hosting its initial phase in Karachi. The subsequent phase, inclusive of the playoffs, unfolded in Lahore. The pinnacle moment occurred on February 27, when Lahore Qalandars triumphed over Multan Sultans by 42 runs in the Final, securing their inaugural PSL title.
Lahore Qalandars, the defending champions, aimed to maintain their title in 2023. Initially scheduled from 13th February to 19th March 2023, the final was rescheduled to 18th March due to adverse weather forecasts in Lahore, with 19th and 20th March as reserve days. In the final, the same finalists of 2022 faced each other. Lahore Qalandars secured victory against Multan Sultans by a slim margin of one run, becoming the first team in PSL history to successfully defend their title.
