The eighth edition of Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) marquee tournament will begin on February 13 according to a schedule announced on Friday by the PCB. On March 19 in Lahore, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which featured 34 games played at four stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan, would come to a conclusion.
PSL 2023 Highlights
- The PSL opening ceremony will take place in Multan on February 13 before the competition begins between the 2021 champions Multan Sultans and the reigning champions Lahore Qalandars
- On March 19, Lahore will host the PSL 2023 championship game
- In an effort to make history, Lahore Qalandars will try to win consecutive championships.
- By winning the trophy three times, Islamabad United hopes to surpass all other teams
- Each team will play five home games: one each versus Islamabad United, Multan Sultans, Lahore Qalandars, and Karachi Kings
- There will be 11 games played in Rawalpindi, nine in each of Karachi and Lahore, and five in Multan
- The lone doubleheader, featuring Peshawar Zalmi vs. Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United vs. Multan Sultans on March 7, will be held at Rawalpindi
- More than 36 international players from 10 T20I-playing countries will compete in the 34-day event, which consists of 34 matches
- Adil Rashid, Matthew Wade, Wanindu Hasaranga, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jimmy Neesham, and Tabraiz Shamsi will all make their international debuts. Adil Rashid and Matthew Wade won the T20 World Cup
- Babar Azam, ranked No. 1, will captain 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi for the first time, followed by Imad Wasim, 2020 champion Karachi Kings, Shadab Khan, Islamabad United, two-time champions Lahore Qalandars, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, 2019 champions Quetta Gladiators
- Shoaib Malik will re-join the Karachi Kings after a six-year absence
- Rashid Khan from Afghanistan will return for the Lahore Qalandars
- Islamabad United will be represented by Alex Hales
- Multan Sultans’ Tim David will make an appearance
- Bhanuka Rajapaksa will play for Peshawar Zalmi, and Jason Roy will play for Quetta Gladiators
- Matches will begin at 2 p.m. in the afternoon and at 7 p.m. in the evening in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, respectively, according to the schedule. Except for the tournament’s opening match, which starts at 8 p.m., evening matches in Multan begin at 6 p.m.
