Pakistan Super League – What You Need To Know
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been in operation since 2016. It’s a Twenty20 cricket competition which involves six teams competing against each other. The PSL takes place on an annual basis and runs for roughly a month, with the competition tending to start in late January and finishing in late February.
The format of the Pakistan Super League is double round robin and then play-offs. The six teams represent the cities of Pakistan, with this being one of the most popular T20 cricket betting competitions in the world and it attracts a big global audience.
The top cricket bookmakers will offer a wide range of Pakistan Super League betting odds and that means there is the opportunity to bet either pre-match or In-Play when it comes to each game.
There are a number of different approaches that a customer might take. They can bet on the outright market which means predicting the champion of each Pakistan Super League tournament. Alternatively, you can bet on a match-by-match basis and find the betting market and odds which you like best.
The History of the Pakistan Super League
Islamabad United won the first ever Pakistan Super League in 2016 when beating the Quetta Gladiators in the final by six wickets. There were only five teams involved that year and the same applied in 2017 when Peshawar Zalmi were the winners of the Super League when defeating Quetta Gladiators.
In 2018, the Pakistan Super League saw the competition extended to six city teams, with 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi actually reaching the final that year and they would also reach the final of the 2019 and 2021 tournament. However, on all three occasions they were unable to add to their 2017 crown.
Islamabad United won their second PSL title when triumphing in 2018 and Quetta Gladiators were able to make it third time lucky in the final when winning in 2019 after previously being losing finalists on two occasions. A year later and Karachi Kings were able to break their duck and claim the 2020 Pakistan Super League title.
In 2021, the Multan Sultans were able to triumph in the final when beating Peshawar Zalmi, while Lahore Qalandars were successful against the Multan Sultans a year later.
The Teams
Islamabad United
Islamabad United play in Islamabad in the Capital Territory and this team play their home matches at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Islamabad. They are one of the founder members of the Pakistan Super League in 2015 and this team have recorded two PSL wins in 2016 and 2018.
Karachi Kings
Karachi Kings play in the province of Sindh and they are owned by the ARY Group. Having been established in 2015, they were able to record a maiden victory in 2020 and they play their home matches at the National Stadium.
Lahore Qalandars
Qatar Lubricants Company are the owners of the Lahore Qalandars and they play their cricket matches in Lahore which is part of Punjab. Their home matches take place at the Gaddafi Stadium, with the cricket team having been founded in 2015 and their first ever win happened in 2022.
Multan Sultans
The Multan Sultans are the newest member of the Pakistan Super League. They were originally founded in 2017 and experienced a few glitches with registration which meant that they then relaunched in 2018. They operate at the Multan Cricket Stadium and they are currently owned by Alamgir Khan Tareen.
Peshawar Zalmi
Peshawar Zalmi play their cricket in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar playing host to their home matches in the Pakistan Super League. The team play in a yellow kit and they are nicknamed the Yellow Storm, with their solitary PSL triumph coming in 2017.
Quetta Gladiators
The Bugti Stadium in Quetta plays host to the matches involving the Gladiators, with the Purple Force playing their cricket in a distinctive purple kit. They have won one Pakistan Super League title in 2019 and they play their cricket at the Bugti Stadium.
PSL Winners
2016 – Islamabad United
2017 – Peshawar Zalmi
2018 – Islamabad United
2019 – Quetta Gladiators
2020 – Karachi Kings
2021 – Multan Sulatans
2022 – Lahore Qalandars
Records
Batting Records
Most Runs – Babar Azam – 2413 – Islamabad United/ Karachi Kings/ Peshawar Zalmi
Highest Individual Score – Colin Ingram – 127* v Quetta Gladiators (2019) – Karachi Kings
Highest Partnership – Babar Azam & Sharjeel Khan – 176 v Islamabad United – Karachi Kings
Most Sixers – Kamran Akmal – 86 – Peshawar Zalmi
Bowling Records
Most Wickets – Wahab Riaz – 103 – Peshawar Zalmi – 2016-2022
Best Bowling Figures – Ravi Bopara – 6/16 v Lahore Qalandars (2016) – Karachi Kings
Fielding Records
Most Dismissals (wicketkeeper) – Kamran Akmal – 60 – Peshawar Zalmi
Most Catches (fielder) – Mohammad Nawaz – 32 – Quetta Gladiators
Team Records
Highest Total – Islamabad United – 247/2 (20) v Peshawar Zalmi – 2021
Lowest Total –Lahore Qalandars – 59 all out (11) v Peshawar Zalmi – 2017
