PSL 2025: Here’s the latest buzz you might have missed!

LAHORE: With the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 just around the corner in April, let’s take a peek at the latest buzz and developments you might have missed!

This year’s tournament is expected to be a thrilling showcase, featuring a blend of elite international and local talent, as six franchises finalise their rosters.

Read more: Islamabad vs Lahore Blues: Battle rages for T20 National Cup quarterfinals

A total of 116 players from ten different countries will participate, making PSL 2025 a highly awaited event in the cricketing world.

PSL 2025 Schedule and Teams

PSL 2025 is gearing up for its tenth season, commencing on April 11, 2025 and concluding with the final on May 25.

The tournament will feature a T20 format, with six participating teams: Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators.

A total of 34 matches will be played in a double round-robin format followed by the playoffs.

It will kick off with the defending champions, Islamabad United, facing Lahore Qalandars in the season opener in Rawalpindi.

The six-team tournament will continue until May 25, with Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium hosting the eliminators and the final.

An exhibition match will be held on April 8 in Peshawar.

Hasan Nawaz recent achievements

Among the notable players is Hasan Nawaz, a promising talent. The 22-year-old recently delivered an outstanding performance, scoring an unbeaten 105 runs in a T20I match against New Zealand on Friday.

The innings was pivotal in securing a nine-wicket victory for Pakistan in the third match of their five-match T20 series.

Hasan Nawaz will be competing in PSL 2025 after being selected by the Quetta Gladiators during the auction. He was chosen in the Emerging category with a price cap of $100,000.

In his previous stint with Islamabad United in PSL 2023, he managed to score 28 runs across three matches, with an average of 9.33.

Kane Williamson’s role in IPL 2025 commentary

Meanwhile, Kiwi star Kane Williamson, who did not secure a contract in the IPL 2025 auction, will still participate in the Indian tournament – as a commentator.

After his commentary stint in the IPL, Williamson will turn his attention to PSL 2025, where he has signed with Karachi Kings. He will be joined by former Australian cricket, David Warner, adding considerable experience to the Kings’ line-up as they seek to give a strong performance in the current season.

Overlap of PSL and ILP schedules

For the first time, PSL 2025 will coincide with the IPL, creating an unprecedented overlap of two major T20 leagues. The IPL will begin on March 22 and end on May 25, with finals of both tournaments coinciding.

Exhibition match in Peshawar

Good news for the citizens of Peshawar! In an initiative to revive high-level cricket in the cricket-crazy province, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced an exhibition match between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators at the Arbab Niaz Stadium on April 8.

The match is part of the PCB’s strategy to generate excitement ahead of the PSL 2025.

The decision to host the exhibition match in Peshawar follows the success of a similar event in Quetta in 2023, which attracted considerable attention from cricket fans.

Controversy surrounding Multan Sultans’ video

In a bizarre turn of events, a controversy arose involving the Multan Sultans franchise.  A video shared by the team, featuring their official mascot, elicited reactions from across the eastern border.

The video apparently utilised a voice-over from Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, taken from a press conference following India’s 2025 Champions Trophy win, to introduce the PSL 2025 trophy,

Read more: Pakistan beat New Zealand in third T20 behind Hasan Nawaz’s ton

While the use of mascots for announcements is common in sports leagues, the choice of audio has been viewed as rather unusual given the tense relations between the arch-rivals.

The video sparked intense reactions from the county of 1.46 billion. Indians took to social media, questioning in rather insulting tones, the appropriateness of using an Indian cricketer’s words to promote a Pakistani tournament.