Although it is still some weeks before the first match in PSL 2025 begins, excitement is already mounting among Pakistan cricket fans and others who follow what has become one of the most successful and watched franchise tournaments. Supporters of all six teams involved will believe that this is the year that their side cannot only make the PSL playoffs but also go all the way to the final and lift the trophy.
They will also know that this is the last chance for their side to capitalise on the current format. Next year, the PSL will expand to eight teams, making winning it even harder.
Read more: PSL Squad 2025: Complete PSL 10 Teams & Players List
PSL10 2025 Schedule & Dates
PSL10 will commence on April 8th this year, later in the year than normal. This schedule shift is to accommodate the Champions Trophy, which Pakistan is hosting this year.
The six teams involved will play each other in a double round-robin group stage, home and away. The top four teams with the most points will advance to the PSL playoffs. The bottom two will be eliminated. In the event that teams finish with the same number of points, Net Run Rate will be the determining criteria to ascertain the finishing order.
The opening match, on April 8th, will feature the defending champions, Islamabad United, against Peshawar Zalmi.
PSL Playoffs 2025 Schedule & Dates
This year, the PSL Playoff schedule will see all matches played at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi. The Stadium has just undergone extensive renovations and modifications in time to host Champions Trophy matches.
The last league game, between the Quetta Gladiators and the Multan Sultans, will take place on May 12th. Two days later, on May 14th, the playoffs will begin with the First Qualifier, featuring the teams that finished the regular season in first and second place.
The following day, May 15th, the Stadium will host the Eliminator game between the teams that finished the regular season third and fourth in the table.
The winner of that match will play the loser of the First Qualifier in the Second Qualifier on May 16th.
There will then be a three-day gap to the final itself, which will be played on May 19th. It will feature the winner of the First Qualifier against the winner of the Second Qualifier.
Read more: PSL Winners List 2016 to 2025: History & Records
Where to watch PSL Playoffs live
For those who are not among the lucky ones to have obtained tickets for the PSL playoffs—they were snapped up almost as soon as they went on sale online—the best alternative is to follow the matches live on television. Fortunately, there is extensive coverage available, not only in Pakistan but throughout South-East Asia and many other parts of the world.
Sony Sports Network has acquired exclusive rights to show matches in Pakistan, India, and other parts of South-East Asia. Different deals are in place with local broadcasters covering Europe, Africa, other parts of Asia, and North America.
Fans who cannot watch matches live for any reason can also stay up to date with match scores and get news updates via the official PSL app. This app can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices via the Apple or Google Play Stores.
PSL Playoffs Format – How It Works
The PSL playoff matches follow the Page System. Initially developed in American sports like softball and curling, this single- and double-elimination methodology has since been adopted by many franchise cricket tournaments, like the Indian Premier League and SA 20.
Under this system, the teams that finish first and second in the table will meet in the First Qualifier. The winner of that match progresses straight to the final. The loser gets another chance because they will then play the winner of the Eliminator game.
That is a match between the teams that finished third and fourth in the table. The winner plays the loser in the Second Qualifier (also variously known as the Second Eliminator or Eliminator 2). For the loser, though, that is the end of their tournament.
The winner of the Second Qualifier, featuring the loser of the First Qualifier and the winner of the Eliminator game, will play the winner of the First Qualifier in the final.
PSL Playoffs Teams – Which Teams Will Qualify?
Whilst predictions so far ahead of the season are inherently unreliable – few could have foreseen that the Lahore Qalandars, having won the PSL in the two previous years, would finish bottom of the table in 2024 – it is possible to hazard some opinions.
Islamabad United is the most successful team in the competition’s history. As the defending champions, they can be expected to mount a strong challenge again, especially as the nucleus of the side that won the title remains.
The Multan Sultans have appeared in the last four finals, but, having won only the first of those in 2021, they will be keen to shrug off their reputation as the “nearly men” of the PSL. One of the franchises that did not take up their full allocation of retentions, their recruitment policy had a distinctly Caribbean flavour, with three West Indians added to the squad. Their fans will hope that they can go one better this time.
The Karachi Kings missed out on the playoffs last year, and it has now been five years since their only PSL triumph. However, they showed their ambitions in the draft by bringing in Australian David Warner and New Zealander Kane Williamson, who will be playing in the PSL for the first time. Warner has now retired from international duty but remains an explosive opener, capable of scoring runs quickly. Williamson, meanwhile, remains an integral part of the New Zealand side and is one of their most prolific run scorers. Both players also add experience and years of know-how in T20 cricket, with long IPL careers behind them.
The Kings have the added advantage that if they make the playoffs, they will be playing in front of their own fans. That is because the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, their regular home ground, will be staging all the playoff matches this year.
After last season’s disappointments, the Lahore Qalandars will want to bounce back. They have a new coach in former England fast bowler Darren Gough, who will be looking to restore them to past glories. Despite their underperformance, they have kept the core of last year’s team, supplemented by some judicious additions, like New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and the Sri Lankan Kusal Perera.
Of the other two franchises, although Peshawar Zalmi has more supporters than any other team, they would appear to be over-reliant on the runs of their captain, Babar Azam, the leading scorer in the competition’s history. Their decision to trust a mainly Pakistani core of players means that they lack some of the international firepower of some of the other sides. However, it would be unwise to discount them completely. To date, they are the only franchise to have made the playoffs every single season.
Meanwhile, the Quetta Gladiators, who finished fourth last season, might struggle to make the playoffs this time round due to an unbalanced squad. Whilst their batting line-up looks strong, especially their top order, their fast bowling options look weak. The New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson has been brought in to help address this problem, but his recent injury record is patchy.
PSL 2024 Top Teams and How They Performed
The Sultans topped the group table in 2024, finishing one point ahead of Peshawar Zalmi. Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators finished with the same points, but Islamabad United was classified third because of a Superior Net Run Rate. The Karachi Kings finished fifth, whilst the Lahore Qalandars, champions for the previous two years, suffered the ignominy of finishing last after winning just one match all season.
The Sultans then beat Zalmi by seven wickets in the First Qualifier to make the final again. With Islamabad United proving too strong for the Gladiators in the Eliminator match, Zalmi and Islamabad met in the Second Qualifier to determine the other finalist.
Again, Islamabad United came out on top, and they maintained that form into the final, defeating the Sultans by two wickets.
PSL Playoffs Venues: Where Will The Matches Be Played?
All the playoff matches will be played at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi this year. First opened in 1955, it is the largest cricket stadium in Karachi. It is frequently used to host Pakistan internationals—the national team has an excellent record on the ground, especially in test cricket, having lost just twice in 45 matches. It is also the home ground of the Sindh cricket team, who compete in Pakistan domestic cricket and the PSL franchise, the Karachi Kings.
The ground and facilities have been extensively modified in time for the start of the Champions Trophy, where it is due to stage three games, including the opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand. Upgrades include a newly designed pavilion featuring state-of-the-art dressing rooms for players and match officials and top-class hospitality facilities.
This will be the second consecutive year that the National Bank Stadium will host the playoffs, having also staged them in 2024.
Read more: 2025 PSL 10 Opening Ceremony: Time, Tickets, Artists and More
PSL Playoffs Records & Historical Stats
Although the PSL is unique among franchise leagues of any length in that every current team has won a competition at least once, some have been more successful than others in reaching the playoffs.
- Islamabad United has the best record of any franchise. Not only are they the only team to have won the competition three times—in 2016, 2018, and again last year—but they have also reached the playoffs in every edition of the tournament, except once, in 2020, when they finished sixth.
- The Karachi Kings reached the playoffs in their first six seasons in the PSL, with their victory in the 2020 tournament the highlight of that run. However, since then, they have been eliminated after the group stage and finished in fifth place in 2024.
- The Lahore Qalandars had an indifferent start to life in the PSL. They had to wait until 2020 before making the playoffs for the first time, finishing runners-up to the Kings that year. Another failure to progress beyond the group stage followed in 2021, but they lifted the trophy for the first time the following year and then successfully defended their title. 2024 represented a substantial fall from grace, as they went from heroes to zeroes by finishing bottom of the table.
- The Multan Sultans did not even exist for the first three editions of the PSL – they joined as an expansion team in 2019. But they have been making up for lost time since. Although they began with two group finishes, they have made the playoffs annually since then. In 2021, they won the tournament for the first time and then followed three successive runners-up places.
- Whilst Peshawar Zalmi can claim to be the best-supported team in the PSL, their one and only success in the competition was a long time ago, back in 2017, although they have finished runners-up on three occasions since. Zalmi does, though, possess the proud record of being the only franchise to have made at least the playoffs in every season of the PSL so far.
- The Quetta Gladiators have been less consistent. They were runners-up in the first two seasons, and they made another playoff appearance in 2018, then claiming the trophy in 2019. However, four years followed, and they failed to make the playoffs. That sequence was broken in 2024 when they were beaten by the eventual champions, Islamabad United, in the Eliminator game.
| Team | PSL Titles | Most Recent Title | Playoff Appearances | Best Record | Notable Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islamabad United | 🏆🏆🏆 (3) | 2024 | 7/8 seasons (missed 2020) | Most PSL titles (3) | Only missed playoffs once (2020) |
| Karachi Kings | 🏆 (1) | 2020 | 6/9 seasons | Won in 2020 | Missed playoffs last 3 seasons |
| Lahore Qalandars | 🏆🏆 (2) | 2023 | 3/9 seasons | Back-to-back champions (2022, 2023) | Finished bottom in 2024 after winning two straight titles |
| Multan Sultans | 🏆 (1) | 2021 | 4/5 seasons (since 2019) | 3 consecutive runners-up (2022, 2023, 2024) | Entered PSL in 2019, making playoffs every year since 2021 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 🏆 (1) | 2017 | 9/9 seasons | Only team to make playoffs every season | 3-time runners-up (2018, 2019, 2021) |
| Quetta Gladiators | 🏆 (1) | 2019 | 4/9 seasons | Two-time runners-up (2016, 2017) | Broke 4-year playoff drought in 2024 |
🔹 Key Takeaways:
- Islamabad United holds the record for most PSL titles (3) and has only missed the playoffs once.
- Peshawar Zalmi is the only team to make the playoffs every single season but has only won once (2017).
- Lahore Qalandars were back-to-back champions (2022 & 2023) but suffered a last-place finish in 2024.
- Multan Sultans has been one of the most consistent teams since their 2019 debut, reaching 3 straight finals (2022-2024).
- Quetta Gladiators won in 2019 but had a 4-year playoff drought before their 2024 comeback.
The Closest Finish
The closest finish in a PSL final came in 2023. The Lahore Qalandars, the defending champions, won the toss and, batting first, made 200/8 from their 20 overs. Their opponents, the Multan Sultans, agonisingly for them, finished one run short, ending their innings on 199/8.
Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi took 5/41 in that match, but his heroics with the bat the previous year helped the Qalandars win their first title. He scored 44 off just 15 balls, including five sixes and two fours.
Highest-Scoring and Lowest-Scoring PSL Playoff Matches
Three times, a team has scored 200 or more in a playoff match. In 2019, in the Second Qualifier, Peshawar Zalmi made 214/5 in a match against Islamabad United. That remains the highest score in the history of the playoffs. Two years later, in PSL 6, in the final itself, the Sultans scored 206/4, as they beat Zalmi to lift the trophy for the first time.
And, in 2023, again in the final, the Qalandars scored 200/6 against the Sultans.
That represented a major comeback for the Qalandars, who had been bowled out for just 76 in the First Qualifier by the same opponents that year, the lowest score in playoff history.
That eclipsed Islamabad United’s dismissal for 82 all out against the Kings in the 2027 First Eliminator
Predictions: Who Will Win the PSL 2025 Playoffs?
Whilst predictions this far in advance of any tournament can only be fraught with danger and the risk of being proved wrong by events such as injury and a loss of form by key players, it is possible to venture opinions.
Islamabad United and the Multan Sultans believe they have an excellent chance of making the final again. Islamabad is the most successive team in the competition, whilst the Sultans have reached the last four finals. After finishing runners-up three times, the Sultans may believe this may be their year.
Both have strengthened their squads in the Players’ draft. The Karachi Kings could only finish fifth last season. Still, with the addition of overseas stars like David Warner and Kane Williamson, they look significantly stronger this time round and capable of reaching the playoffs. They might be joined by the Lahore Qalandars, the 2022 and 2023 champions, who may have something to prove after a disappointing last-place finish last year.
However, that means Peshawar Zalmi would lose their proud record of always reaching the playoffs. With Babar Azam, the competition’s all-time leading run-scorer, leading them, they should not be discounted.
That means the Quetta Gladiators may be destined for the wooden spoon, having failed to adequately address their longstanding fast bowler weakness.
FAQs About PSL Playoffs 2025
1. How do PSL playoffs work?
The PSL Playoffs use the Page System. This methodology, adopted from American sports, is based on a single and double-elimination system and is common in franchise cricket leagues like the IPL and SA 20.
Under this System, the teams that finish first and second in the regular league system meet in the First Qualifier. The winner of that match progresses straight to the final. The runner-up gets a second chance because they play the winner of the Eliminator game between the third and fourth-placed teams.
The loser of the Eliminator match is knocked out of the tournament altogether. The winner will face the loser from the First Qualifier in the Second Qualifier, the outcome of which will determine the other finalists.
2. How long is a PSL season?
The PSL season typically lasts between six and seven weeks. The 2025 season, for example, begins on April 8th and concludes with the final on May 25th. However, with the addition of two new franchises in 2026, this may be extended.
3. How much does PSL give each team?
The prize money for 2025 will see the team that wins the tournament receive US $650,000. The runners-up will get US $200,000. The side that finished third will be entitled to US 76,000, and the fourth-placed side will receive US $44,000. Finishing fifth entitles a franchise to US $22,000, and ending the table last will receive US $11,000.
By contrast, the winning team in the IPL this year will receive US $2.45 million.
4. Which is the most successful team in PSL?
The Lahore Qalandars, the defending champions, are the only team to have won the tournament three times. However, unlike other franchise leagues like the IPL, all of the competing teams have won the competition at least once.
5. Which team has the most fans in PSL?
Statistics suggest that Peshawar Zalmi has more fans than any other PSL team, at least in terms of social media following. According to recent figures, they have 6 million followers on Facebook, 3.6 million on Instagram, 1 million on Twitter/X, 1.6 million on YouTube, and 430k on YouTube.
