The most anticipated local event, the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL), will kick off on February 13 at the Multan Cricket Stadium with a match between the 2021 champions, Multan Sultans, and the defending champions, Lahore Qalandars.
It is worth noting that the eighth PSL season will also feature matches in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.
The Karachi Kings will face the Peshawar Zalmi in the tournament’s second game, which will be played in Karachi’s National Bank Cricket Arena.
Quetta Gladiators will begin their season on February 15 at Multan, while Islamabad United will play their first game in Karachi on February 16.
The action will shift to the northern half of the country on February 26, with Lahore and Rawalpindi hosting the tournament’s final two rounds.
The final and four playoff games will be held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. This is on top of the five league games and 11 games at Rawalpindi Stadium.
The tournament winner will receive the Supernova Trophy as well as a cheque for Rs 120 million, while the losers will each receive a check for Rs 48 million.
The final will be held on March 19.
The HBL PSL was formed with the purpose of providing a platform for young and emerging cricketers to get international experience by playing top-notch cricket in a competitive environment before progressing to the top level.
Before Sri Lanka played a single T20I in Lahore, the World XI visited Pakistan for the first-ever HBL PSL match—the 2017 season’s championship game.
The final between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi in the 2018 edition, which came after the two playoffs in Lahore, was followed by the West Indies’ three Twenty20 Internationals tour of the city.
The international teams’ trust was bolstered further when Karachi hosted eight matches in the 2019 edition, and Pakistan’s first-ever hosting of the complete tournament in 2020 cemented the country’s status as a location capable of hosting comprehensive international tours.
The fact that all six franchises have won at least one HBL PSL championship demonstrates the calibre of each team and the league’s growing competitiveness.
Islamabad United, the initial champions, were the only team to win the HBL PSL championship twice (the second time in 2018).
Peshawar Zalmi won the championship in 2017. Quetta Gladiators won the 2019 competition after reaching the finals in the previous two versions.
Karachi Kings were the first team to win and hoist the trophy in their home city when they defeated Lahore Qalandars in Karachi in 2020. In 2021, the Multan Sultans won their first title. The previous season, Lahore Qalandars won the HBL PSL championship there.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has planned a spectacular opening ceremony before the HBL PSL 8 action begins, in keeping with tradition.
The performances of the HBL PSL 8 anthem singers, Abdullah Siddiqui, Asim Azhar, Faris Shafi, and Shae Gill, will be one of the key draws for cricket fans in Multan and throughout the world, as they will put on spectacular performances.
According to a press release issued here on Sunday, spectators will be treated to performances by well-known music composer Sahir Ali Bagga and exceptional singer Aima Baig, in addition to the star-studded lineup.
