PSL 2026 Schedule & Fixtures — Complete Match List With All 44 Dates, Venues, Timings & How to Watch HBL PSL Live

PSL 2026 Tournament Overview — HBL PSL Season 11 Explained

The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League — officially branded as HBL PSL 2026 — is a historic one for Pakistani cricket. For the first time in the competition's decade-long history, the league expanded to eight teams, adding Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi Panthers to the original six franchises. The tournament runs from March 26 to April 28, 2026, covering 44 matches across 34 days: 34 league stage matches and a 10-match knockout phase culminating in the Final at the National Stadium, Karachi.

The expansion means each team plays a minimum of seven league matches, with the top four sides advancing to the semi-finals. The new playoff format introduces three eliminator rounds to accommodate eight teams: Eliminator 1 (5th vs 6th), Eliminator 2 (7th vs 8th), and Eliminator 3 (the loser of Eliminator 1 against the winner of Eliminator 2) before the two semi-finals and the final. This structure ensures that lower-ranked sides get multiple chances to survive, making the knockout phase genuinely unpredictable across six matches.

One context you simply cannot ignore when reading any PSL 2026 schedule: every single match in this tournament will be played inside two empty stadiums. The PCB made the difficult but necessary decision to stage the entire edition behind closed doors, stripping out the atmosphere that made PSL famous globally — the sea of colour at Gaddafi Stadium, the noise at National Stadium — in favour of operational safety amid the West Asia fuel crisis and associated geopolitical pressure in the region. We cover the behind-closed-doors context in detail later in this article.

Despite everything, the cricket on the pitch has been compelling. Lahore Qalandars beat Hyderabad Kingsmen in the March 26 opener to claim the distinction of recording a win against both debut franchises in PSL history — a fact that says as much about Lahore's ruthlessness as it does about the challenge facing the new teams. Meanwhile, the scheduling clash with IPL 2026 (which started on March 28) has dominated off-pitch conversation, with PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi publicly threatening action against Pakistani players who chose their IPL contracts over PSL commitments.

Tournament Format — Eight Teams, 44 Matches, New Playoff Structure

PSL 2026 uses a modified round-robin format designed for eight teams. In the league stage, each team plays seven matches — the original six franchises play against every other team once, while the two new franchises (Hyderabad and Rawalpindi) also play seven matches each. The combined points table after 34 league matches determines seeding for the knockout phase.

Qualification works as follows: Teams finishing 1st and 2nd go directly to the semi-finals. Teams finishing 3rd and 4th also go directly to the semi-finals. Teams finishing 5th through 8th enter the three-eliminator knockout ladder. The winner of Eliminator 3 joins the top four in the semi-finals, creating a five-team final phase. In the semi-finals, 1st plays 4th and 2nd plays 3rd — standard seeding with the highest-ranked teams enjoying the most favourable matchups.

Points system: Two points for a win, one point each for a no-result or tie (no Super Over), zero for a loss. In the event of a tie on points, Net Run Rate (NRR) separates teams. Abandoned matches due to weather are replayed if the fixture list allows; otherwise both teams receive one point.

Lahore Phase — Complete Schedule (Matches 1–22, March 26 – April 11)

Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore hosts the first 22 matches of PSL 2026 across 17 days. The Lahore phase runs from the opening match on March 26 through to April 11. There are eight double-header days during this phase — every Friday–Saturday weekend — providing eight afternoon slots at 2:30 PM PKT alongside the standard 8:00 PM PKT evening games.

The Lahore phase runs for 17 days across 22 matches — a relentless schedule that tests squad rotation and player management more than any comparable block in franchise cricket. Teams playing three games in five days in the Lahore phase must make decisions about which players to protect for the Karachi block and which can absorb the workload. Pace bowlers, who carry the heaviest match-to-match physical burden in T20 cricket, are the most carefully managed resource. Franchises with only one pace-bowling match-winner — Lahore Qalandars relying on Shaheen Shah Afridi, for instance — face the most difficult rotation puzzle.

Gaddafi Stadium's playing surface has been relaid ahead of PSL 2026 following the extensive renovation work completed in January. The new surface is expected to offer more pace and carry in the first innings than the tired pitch of recent seasons, which had been criticised by players and coaches for producing low-scoring matches that did not reflect the attacking intent of the franchises. A quicker Gaddafi pitch benefits teams with genuine pace — Lahore Qalandars with Shaheen, Islamabad United with Mohammad Wasim Jnr — and challenges the spin-reliant strategies that some franchises built specifically for the old surface's characteristics.

The double-header days in the Lahore phase deserve specific attention. Four double-header days are scheduled — March 28, 29, April 4, and April 5 — with afternoon games at 2:30 PM PKT and evening games at 8:00 PM PKT. The afternoon games are played on a surface that has had minimal dew impact; the evening games are affected by dew from approximately the 10th over of the second innings. Teams batting second in Lahore evening games consistently find the ball skids off the surface more than they expect, reducing the spinner's effectiveness in the final overs and favouring chasing sides who can execute their powerplay plans.

The Lahore phase is where the standings will be shaped. All eight teams play at least four matches here before the caravan moves to Karachi. The four cross-city derbies — Lahore vs Karachi, Islamabad vs Lahore, Peshawar vs Islamabad, Quetta vs Karachi — are the most-anticipated fixtures of the league stage, and three of those four fall within the Lahore phase.

DH denotes a double-header day. Afternoon matches start at 2:30 PM PKT (9:30 AM GMT / 3:00 PM IST / 4:30 AM EST). Evening matches start at 8:00 PM PKT (3:00 PM GMT / 8:30 PM IST / 11:00 AM EST). All matches are played at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore during this phase.

Karachi Phase — Complete Schedule (Matches 23–34, April 12 – April 21)

National Stadium, Karachi takes over from April 12 with 12 league matches across 10 days. The Karachi phase decides the final standings and includes three more double-header days (April 18 and 19). By this point in the tournament, playoff qualification pressure makes every match a must-win for teams sitting in the 5th–8th bracket.

National Stadium Karachi — capacity 34,228, known locally as the NSK — plays differently from Gaddafi in ways that consistently catch visiting teams unprepared. The outfield is significantly slower: shots that race to the boundary in Lahore's quick grass surface stop several metres short in Karachi's denser, damper outfield. This reduces the value of aerial hitting and increases the premium on ground shots through the gaps — a contrast that requires both batsmen and coaches to recalibrate their scoring patterns within days of arriving from the Lahore phase.

The Karachi phase also introduces the sea breeze factor. National Stadium sits within 15 kilometres of the Arabian Sea, and prevailing westerly winds in April produce conditions that assist swing bowling in the first eight overs — particularly for left-arm seamers angling in to right-handers from the City End. Teams with experienced left-arm pace in their squads — those who understand how to use the conditions rather than simply bowl their stock line and length — gain a meaningful structural advantage in the Karachi block. Planning Karachi squad selection separately from Lahore squad selection is the sophisticated approach; treating the entire PSL schedule as a single continuous bloc of identical conditions is the approach that costs runs and wickets.

The Karachi leg also features the two PSL 'Super Sundays': April 19 hosts both an early-afternoon Peshawar Zalmi vs Karachi Kings clash (2:30 PM PKT) and an Islamabad United vs Hyderabad Kingsmen evening game (8:00 PM PKT). These back-to-back matches at an empty National Stadium will create a strange atmosphere — high-quality T20 cricket without the famous Karachi crowd noise that has made this ground one of the most electric in the format.

Playoff Schedule — Eliminators, Semi-Finals & Final

All six playoff matches are held at National Stadium, Karachi. The structure gives lower-ranked teams multiple opportunities to recover: a 6th-placed team that wins three consecutive eliminators can still reach the semi-finals. The Final takes place on April 28 — a Tuesday evening — in what will be the 44th and last match of PSL 11. With the competition being played behind closed doors, the winner will lift the trophy in an empty stadium, a bittersweet climax to an extraordinary edition.

PSL 2026 introduces a reformed playoff structure that accommodates eight teams more equitably than the previous four-team knockout. Three eliminator rounds reduce the field from eight to four, then two semi-finals reduce it to two finalists. The team finishing first has the most protected path: they receive a bye through the early eliminators and enter directly at the semi-final stage, reducing the total knockout games required to win the title from three to two. For the teams finishing fifth through eighth, the path to the final requires winning three consecutive knockout matches — a considerable achievement that would represent genuine punch-above-weight performance for either new franchise.

The playoff venues — National Stadium Karachi for all knockout matches — give teams familiar with Karachi conditions a significant advantage. Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings, and Quetta Gladiators have played substantial cricket at NSK; Rawalpindi Panthers and Hyderabad Kingsmen arrive in Karachi with minimal experience of the conditions. The PSL final on April 28 — behind closed doors, under the NSK lights, with no crowd atmosphere to mark the occasion — will be a strange end to a strange tournament. But it will still produce a champion.

Team-by-Team Fixture Guide — All 8 Squads

Below you'll find the complete PSL 2026 schedule broken down by team — the format that actually helps fans plan their viewing. Each team plays a minimum of seven league matches. Venues alternate between Lahore (March 26 – April 11) and Karachi (April 12 onwards).

Lahore Qalandars — Complete PSL 2026 Schedule

Defending champions Lahore Qalandars under Shaheen Shah Afridi start as PSL 2026 favourites and opened the tournament with a convincing win over Hyderabad Kingsmen. Their nine-match league schedule is the heaviest of any side — one extra fixture as defending champions. Shaheen's pace attack, the dependable Mohammad Hafeez in the dugout, and the batting firepower of Fakhar Zaman and Shai Hope make Lahore the team to beat. Their key fixtures: the cross-city clash with Karachi Kings (April 5 in Lahore, April 16 in Karachi) and the Islamabad United derby on April 11 that ends the Lahore phase.

Islamabad United — Complete PSL 2026 Schedule

Shadab Khan's Islamabad United are the perennial contenders — two-time PSL champions (2016, 2018) who have made at least the semi-finals in four of the past five seasons. Their squad blends international class with local grit: Azam Khan's hitting, Colin Munro's experience, and Shadab's own leg-spin are central to their plans. The April 11 encounter against Lahore Qalandars — the last Lahore phase match — is the fixture that could define both sides' standing ahead of the Karachi move.

Karachi Kings — Complete PSL 2026 Schedule

Karachi Kings have been the PSL's great under-performers relative to their market size — champions in 2020 but inconsistent since. Under new captain Imad Wasim, they carry the weight of being the 'home' side in Karachi during the second phase, even though no fans will be in to watch. Their league schedule is split between two Lahore matches in late March and early April, then three Karachi fixtures from April 13 onwards. The Kings' rivalry with Lahore Qalandars — the two biggest cities in Pakistan going head-to-head — remains PSL's most commercially significant matchup, even behind empty stands.

Peshawar Zalmi — Complete PSL 2026 Schedule

Babar Azam's Peshawar Zalmi are the form story of PSL 2026 — a squad rebuilt around Pakistan cricket's most recognisable batsman since his return to the franchise that first gave him a national platform. Babar's PSL 2026 schedule is a genuine nine-match journey through both phases. Zalmi's opening match against Quetta Gladiators on March 28 set the tone: Babar top-scored, and Zalmi won comfortably. Watch for the April 7 Islamabad United clash, which should be the defining Lahore-phase game for playoff positioning among the mid-table sides.

Quetta Gladiators — Complete PSL 2026 Schedule

Jason Roy's Quetta Gladiators are one of PSL's most storied franchises — champions in 2017 and 2019 — and they enter 2026 with renewed ambition after a below-par 2025. Roy's experience at the top of the order alongside Pakistan's Ahsan Ali gives Quetta a dangerous opening pair, while Mohammad Amir's in-swing bowling remains effective in PSL conditions. Their eight-match league schedule features some tough draws: Lahore Qalandars (March 28 and April 18) and Islamabad United (April 4 and April 20) twice each.

Multan Sultans — Complete PSL 2026 Schedule

Reigning domestic giants Multan Sultans — PSL champions in 2021 and 2023 — are led by Mohammad Rizwan, who captains the side while simultaneously managing his schedule around limited white-ball international appearances. Rizwan's Sultans have the most compact schedule in PSL 2026 with nine fixtures, heavy on the Lahore phase. Their double-header appearances (March 28 at 2:30 PM PKT, April 4 at 2:30 PM PKT) are both early-afternoon games — a logistical quirk that could work in their favour as opponents sometimes underestimate the afternoon slot.

Hyderabad Kingsmen — Complete PSL 2026 Schedule

The first of PSL's two new franchises, Hyderabad Kingsmen faced Lahore Qalandars in the tournament opener — a baptism of fire against the defending champions in front of zero fans. Despite the result, Kingsmen showed enough quality to suggest they won't simply be making up the numbers. Their overseas core is strong: led by West Indian pace and a middle order that includes several promising Pakistani players who were overlooked by the established six. The April 3 clash against Rawalpindi Panthers — effectively a battle between the two new sides — is PSL 2026's most intriguing early-season matchup.

Rawalpindi Panthers — Complete PSL 2026 Schedule

Rawalpindi Panthers are PSL's second debutant franchise, representing the garrison city that has hosted some of Pakistan's most important Test matches in recent years. The Panthers' eight-match schedule begins with a March 27 fixture against Islamabad United — an 'across-the-city' derby of sorts, given Rawalpindi and Islamabad's proximity. The Panthers' management have been deliberately patient in building their squad, prioritising depth over marquee signings, which could pay dividends as the tournament progresses into the physically demanding double-header stretch.

Venue Guide — Gaddafi Stadium Lahore & National Stadium Karachi

PSL 2026 uses just two venues — Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore and National Stadium, Karachi. This is the most restricted venue footprint in PSL history, driven by the security protocols that also mandate the behind-closed-doors format. In previous editions, PSL matches have been staged in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar. In 2026, the PCB consolidated the tournament into two venues to simplify security logistics.

Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Named after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi following his 1974 state visit to Pakistan, Gaddafi Stadium is Pakistan cricket's most storied ground. With a capacity of approximately 27,000 — expanded and refurbished ahead of the 2023 Asia Cup — it has hosted everything from the 1987 World Cup to landmark Test series. In T20 conditions, Gaddafi tends to favour batsmen who can hit through the covers and use the quick outfield. The dew factor during Lahore evening games in late March and early April is significant: captains who win the toss have consistently chosen to field first, chasing under heavy dew that neutralises swing bowling.

Average scores at Gaddafi in T20Is and PSL matches have been around 170–180 for batting first, with successful chases regularly exceeding 185. Spinners struggle in the evening dew; pace bowlers who can generate reverse swing are the key differentiators. The dimensions favour big-hitting: 68 metres to square boundaries, 80 metres straight.

National Stadium, Karachi

National Stadium Karachi — rebuilt and expanded to a 34,228 capacity following major redevelopment — is a more technically interesting venue. The pitch is genuinely flat and hard with minimal lateral movement, making it a batter's paradise in the first 14 overs before the surface starts to slow up and grip for the spinners. Karachi's coastal humidity tends to produce sea breeze that assists swing bowling early, but this dissipates quickly. T20 scores at Karachi trend slightly higher than Lahore — an average of 175+ in recent PSL editions — and the ground's boundaries (70 metres square, 78 metres straight) offer less protection than the largest grounds in the subcontinent.

The absence of Karachi's notoriously passionate crowd in PSL 2026 will be keenly felt. This stadium's noise levels have been among the highest in global cricket — local fans known for their sustained support of Karachi Kings and fierce vocal opposition to visiting teams. Playing in an empty stadium effectively removes that home advantage entirely. Whether this actually levels the playing field or simply makes Karachi quieter will be one of PSL 2026's defining subplots.

Behind Closed Doors — What It Means for PSL 2026

The decision to stage PSL 2026 without spectators is unprecedented in the tournament's decade-long history. Previous editions saw matches played in Dubai during security-sensitive periods, but the PCB resisted moving games overseas in 2026, instead choosing to keep PSL on home soil at the cost of live attendance. The board's position: a PSL played behind closed doors in Pakistan is preferable to a PSL played safely in front of crowds in the UAE.

The practical implications for broadcast production are significant. Without crowd atmosphere, the production company must construct the emotional texture of each match through other means: enhanced commentary teams with greater analytical depth, rapid replay packages that contextualise each ball within the match narrative, and statistics overlays that give viewers watching in silence something to engage with beyond the uncertain roar that normally fills dead balls. PTV Sports and Geo Super have invested in additional production infrastructure specifically for PSL 2026 — a recognition that the broadcast product has to carry more weight than usual.

Players who have experienced behind-closed-doors cricket consistently note that communication between teammates becomes both more audible and more important. In a full stadium, tactical conversations are masked by ambient noise; in an empty ground, every word is potentially audible to the opposition. Some teams have developed hand-signal systems specifically for the PSL 2026 conditions; others have lengthened their code-word vocabularies beyond what previous seasons required. These are minor operational adaptations, but they illustrate the extent to which the format change reshapes every aspect of the competitive environment beyond just the headline absence of fans.

The commercial impact is real but manageable. PSL franchise revenues come primarily from broadcast rights and central PCB distributions rather than gate receipts — gate revenue accounts for roughly 15–20% of total franchise income across a typical PSL season. The broadcast deal, anchored by PTV Sports and Geo Super domestically plus international rights deals with FanCode, Sky Sports, and Ten Sports, remains intact. International digital streaming via Daraz and Cricwick has also seen increased uptake precisely because home-viewing is now the only way to watch PSL 2026.

For players, the atmosphere inside an empty Gaddafi Stadium is described by those who've experienced it as 'training match intensity' — professional but clinical. The sound of the ball on bat carries differently without crowd absorption. Coaches have noted that team communication on the field becomes easier — and opposition communication equally audible. It's a strange, surreal version of the sport's most electric format played in near-silence.

The IPL–PSL Clash — Players, Contracts, and PCB Sanctions

PSL 2026 and IPL 2026 are running simultaneously for the first time in cricket history, creating an unprecedented scheduling conflict that has dominated pre-tournament discussion. IPL 2026 started on March 28 — two days after PSL's March 26 opener — and runs until May 31, a full month after PSL concludes.

The financial arithmetic is straightforward and explains player decisions without requiring moral judgement. An overseas cricketer holding both a PSL contract (worth approximately US$80,000–$120,000 for a full season) and an IPL contract (worth US$400,000–$1,000,000 for a comparable period) faces a choice whose outcome is determined by economics rather than loyalty. The PCB's framing of those decisions as betrayals reflects the board's commercial frustration rather than any realistic expectation of a different outcome. Until the PSL's per-match fees reach competitive parity with the IPL — a development that would require a fivefold increase in broadcast rights value — the decisions will continue.

The clash created an impossible choice for several overseas players contracted to both leagues. Pakistani players are not contracted to IPL teams — BCCI rules prohibit Pakistani players from participating — so the conflict is primarily among West Indians, Australians, Englishmen, and South Africans who hold contracts in both leagues. Several chose IPL: the financial differential is stark, with even mid-tier IPL contracts exceeding the top PSL salaries. For new franchise Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi Panthers — who had less leverage in attracting overseas stars — this player drain was felt most acutely.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi's public warning of punitive action against players who chose IPL drew significant attention internationally. The substantive sanction available to PCB is limited: they cannot prevent players from honouring foreign contracts, but they can mark players as 'unco-operative' for future PSL draft eligibility and share information with the ICC. The PCB has since confirmed it will engage the ICC and other national boards through formal channels rather than unilateral bans — a more measured approach than Naqvi's initial public statements suggested.

The deeper structural problem remains: without a genuine international window for PSL, the league will always compete for overseas talent with leagues that command bigger fees. The PCB's medium-term solution — pushing for a protected ICC window for PSL — is the right one, but it faces resistance from boards who benefit from the current scheduling chaos.

How to Watch PSL 2026 — Complete TV & Streaming Guide

Television in Pakistan: PTV Sports holds the official free-to-air broadcast rights for PSL 2026 in Pakistan. Every match is live on PTV Sports, accessible via cable, satellite (Nilesat/Paksat), and the PTV Sports YouTube channel for domestic viewers. Geo Super is the premium pay-TV option with additional production value, expert panel discussions, and enhanced coverage including pitch-side access that PTV's coverage lacks. Both channels broadcast in Urdu; Geo Super additionally provides an English commentary feed for select matches.

Digital Streaming in Pakistan: Daraz — the South Asian e-commerce platform with a streaming arm — holds exclusive PSL 2026 digital rights in Pakistan. All 44 matches are live on the Daraz app and website. Cricwick, Pakistan's cricket-focused streaming platform, is also authorised to stream matches and has a strong user base among Pakistani cricket fans abroad.

India and South Asia: FanCode is the exclusive PSL 2026 streaming partner for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan. FanCode has established itself as the go-to cricket streaming platform in India for leagues that aren't on the major broadcasters — PSL joins the Caribbean Premier League and The Hundred on FanCode's cricket portfolio. A FanCode subscription is required; PSL matches are not available on Jio, Hotstar, or SonyLIV.

International: Sky Sports Cricket (UK and Ireland), Ten Sports (Middle East and North Africa), Willow TV (USA and Canada for select matches), SuperSport (Southern Africa), and Fox Cricket (Australia for select matches). Fans outside these territories should check local listings for availability.

PSL 2026 Match Timings — All Time Zones

Evening matches (standard): 8:00 PM PKT | 3:00 PM GMT | 8:30 PM IST | 11:00 AM EST | 8:00 AM PST | 2:00 AM AEDT (next day).

Afternoon matches on double-header days: 2:30 PM PKT | 9:30 AM GMT | 3:00 PM IST | 4:30 AM EST | 1:30 AM PST | 8:30 PM AEDT (previous day).

Pakistan Standard Time (PKT) is UTC+5. There is no Daylight Saving Time in Pakistan, so the above conversions are consistent throughout the tournament. The toss takes place 30 minutes before the scheduled start of play.

Key Matchups to Watch in PSL 2026

Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United (April 11): The defining fixture of the Lahore phase. Two of PSL's most successful franchises — Lahore with the most recent title, Islamabad with the most wins historically — meet in the last Lahore-phase match when standings clarity is at its highest. Shadab Khan vs Shaheen Shah Afridi: the kind of player-vs-player narrative that PSL produces uniquely.

Lahore Qalandars vs Peshawar Zalmi (April 2, Lahore) — The competition's most emotionally charged fixture outside of Lahore-Islamabad. Babar Azam's Peshawar against Shaheen Shah Afridi's Lahore is a matchup of Pakistan cricket's two most prominent active stars, on the same pitch, in a match that could determine playoff positioning. Babar vs Shaheen in the powerplay — Pakistan's best batter against Pakistan's best fast bowler, a contest that will be replayed in every analysis show and social media thread for the following week regardless of match outcome.

Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars (April 11, Lahore) — The final game of the Lahore phase, a potential title preview. If Islamabad enter this fixture with a chance to overtake Lahore in the standings, the atmosphere in an empty Gaddafi Stadium becomes irrelevant: the players create their own atmosphere in games of this magnitude. Both franchises know each other's bowling variations exhaustively. Individual brilliance rather than tactical surprise will be decisive.

Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars (Karachi phase) — The two most successful PSL franchises of the modern era, meeting in the Karachi block on a pitch neither regards as home. Mohammad Rizwan versus Shaheen Shah Afridi is another Pakistan cricket superstar matchup that PSL 2026 packages within a fixture that has genuine playoff implications. Multan's record against Lahore in PSL knockout cricket is the most relevant data point: head-to-head in high-stakes fixtures rather than group-stage encounters.

Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars (April 5, April 16): PSL's biggest city rivalry played twice — once in Lahore on April 5 and again in Karachi on April 16. Lahore won the first encounter convincingly; the April 16 return in Karachi will be a genuine derby even without the packed stands that normally make this fixture crackle.

Hyderabad Kingsmen vs Rawalpindi Panthers (April 3): The 'new franchise derby' — both teams debuting in PSL 2026 face each other for the first time on April 3 in Lahore. Whichever new franchise finishes higher in the standings cements credibility; whichever loses faces the risk of being seen as the weaker addition to the expanded league.

Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United (April 7): Babar Azam vs Shadab Khan. The tension between the two captains — teammates in the Pakistan national side — makes this the most personal duel in PSL 2026. Babar's consistency vs Shadab's aggression as both captain and bowler.

Multan Sultans vs Lahore Qalandars (April 12): The first Karachi-phase match pitches PSL 2026's title favourites against each other. If Lahore are leading the standings by April 12, Multan need a win to stay competitive in the playoff race. Mohammad Rizwan captaining at National Stadium against a Lahore side with genuine title ambitions — this is appointment viewing even from a living room.

Frequently Asked Questions — PSL 2026 Schedule

When does PSL 2026 start?

PSL 2026 (HBL PSL Season 11) started on March 26, 2026 with Lahore Qalandars beating Hyderabad Kingsmen in the first match at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The match was played at 8:00 PM PKT behind closed doors.

How many matches are in PSL 2026?

PSL 2026 has 44 matches — 34 league stage matches and 10 playoff matches (Eliminator 1, Eliminator 2, Eliminator 3, Semi-Final 1, Semi-Final 2, and the Final). Each of the eight teams plays a minimum of seven league matches. Teams that qualify for the playoffs play between eight and thirteen matches total, depending on their route to the final.

Why is PSL 2026 played behind closed doors?

All PSL 2026 matches are staged without spectators due to security concerns arising from the West Asia fuel crisis and associated regional geopolitical instability. The PCB, in consultation with Punjab and Sindh provincial governments, concluded that the risk to spectator safety could not be adequately managed for large-scale public gatherings at this time. The decision was announced three weeks before the tournament began.

Where can I watch PSL 2026 live?

In Pakistan: PTV Sports (free-to-air TV) and Geo Super (pay TV) for broadcast; Daraz and Cricwick for streaming. In India and South Asia: FanCode exclusively. UK and Ireland: Sky Sports Cricket. Middle East and North Africa: Ten Sports. USA and Canada: Willow TV (select matches). Check local listings for other regions.

What time do PSL 2026 matches start?

Evening matches start at 8:00 PM PKT (3:00 PM GMT / 8:30 PM IST / 11:00 AM EST). Afternoon double-header slots start at 2:30 PM PKT (9:30 AM GMT / 3:00 PM IST / 4:30 AM EST). The toss is 30 minutes before the scheduled start time.

When is the PSL 2026 final?

The PSL 2026 Final is scheduled for April 28, 2026 (Tuesday) at National Stadium, Karachi at 8:00 PM PKT. The final will be played behind closed doors in line with the rest of the tournament.

How many teams are in PSL 2026?

PSL 2026 features eight teams for the first time in PSL history. The original six — Lahore Qalandars, Karachi Kings, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, and Multan Sultans — are joined by two new franchises: Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi Panthers.

What happened to PSL players who chose IPL over PSL 2026?

Several overseas players chose their IPL 2026 contracts over PSL commitments, citing the financial gap and the behind-closed-doors format. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi initially threatened sanctions, but the board has since indicated it will pursue the matter through ICC channels rather than unilateral bans. The long-term solution being sought is a protected ICC window for PSL to prevent future scheduling conflicts.

Which teams won PSL before 2026?

Past PSL champions: Islamabad United (2016, 2018), Peshawar Zalmi (2017), Quetta Gladiators (2019), Karachi Kings (2020), Multan Sultans (2021, 2023), Lahore Qalandars (2022, 2025). Lahore enter PSL 2026 as defending champions. The two new franchises — Hyderabad and Rawalpindi — are competing in their first PSL edition.