The Pakistan Super League, commonly known as PSL, is a professional T20 cricket league in Pakistan. It is one of the most popular and highly anticipated cricket leagues in the world, attracting some of the best players from around the globe.
The first match of the league is always crucial, setting the tone for the rest of the tournament and giving a glimpse into what fans can expect from the teams. Graana.com has gathered all the details on the PSL match today, including its venue, time, and team members.
Overview of PSL Today
| Full Form | Pakistan Super League |
| Inaugural Season | 2016 |
| Number of Teams | 6 |
| Matches Played | Varies per season (e.g., 34 matches in some seasons) |
| Venues | UAE and Pakistan (varies) |
| Format | T20 (Twenty20) format |
| Defending Champions | Lahore Qalandars in 2022. |
| Top Run-scorer | Varies per season (e.g., Fakhar Zaman in 2022) |
| Best Bowler | Varies per season (e.g., Shadab Khan in 2022) |
| Official Website | PSL Official Website |
Teams Participating in the First Match
The first match of PSL 8 will see two fierce rivals, the Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars, face off against each other. The Lahore Qalandars, led by skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi, are hoping to make a solid start to the tournament. On the other hand, the Multan Sultans are captained by Muhammad Rizwan.
Venue and Date
The first match of PSL 8 will take place at the Multan Cricket Stadium on February 13th, 2023. The stadium is among the most popular stadiums in Pakistan. It is known for its high-scoring matches, and will provide a fitting stage for the start of the tournament.
The Multan Sultans vs. Lahore Qalandars match will start at 8:00 pm PST.
HBL PSL 8 Draft
In this year’s PSL 8 Draft, Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars retained some old players and also added new players this season. Following is the complete list of both team’s retained players:
Lahore Qalandars
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | Rashid Khan | Platinum | Afghanistan |
| 2 | Shaheen Shah Afridi | Platinum | Pakistan |
| 3 | David Wiese | Diamond | Namibia |
| 4 | Haris Rauf | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 5 | Abdullah Shafique | Gold | Pakistan |
| 6 | Harry Brook | Silver | English |
| 7 | Kamran Ghulam | Silver | Pakistan |
| 8 | Zaman Khan | Emerging | Pakistan |
New Draft Picks of Lahore Qalandars
The Lahore Qalandars have made some intriguing selections in the recent draft, with Fakhar Zaman and Sikandar Raza being the standout picks.
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | Fakhar Zaman | Platinum | Pakistan |
| 2 | Hussain Talat | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 3 | Sikandar Raza | Gold | Zimbabwe |
| 4 | Liam Dawson | Gold | England |
| 5 | Dilbar Hussain | Silver | Pakistan |
| 6 | Mirza Tahir Baig | Silver | Pakistan |
| 7 | Ahmed Daniyal | Silver | Pakistan |
| 8 | Shawaiz Irfan | Emerging | Pakistan |
| 9 | Jordan Cox | Supplementary | England |
| 10 | Jalat Khan | Supplementary | Pakistan |
Complete Squad of Lahore Qalandars
- Rashid Khan
- Haris Rauf
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- David Wiese
- Abdullah Shafique
- Harry Brook
- Kamran Ghulam
- Zaman Khan
- Fakhar Zaman
- Hussain Talat
- Sikandar Raza
- Liam Dawson
- Dilbar Hussain
- Mirza Tahir Baig
- Ahmed Danlyal
- Shawaiz Irfan
- Jordan Cox
- Jalat Khan
Multan Sultans
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | Mohammad Rizwan | Platinum | Pakistan |
| 2 | Khushdil Shah | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 3 | Rilee Rossouw | Diamond | South Africa |
| 4 | Shan Masood | Diamond | Pakistan |
| 5 | Shahnawaz Dahani | Gold | Pakistan |
| 6 | Tim David | Gold | Australia |
| 7 | Abbas Afridi | Emerging | Pakistan |
| 8 | Ihsanullah | Emerging | Pakistan |
New Draft Picks of Multan Sultans
During the draft, the Multan Sultans initially selected Naseem Shah in the platinum category. However, the Quetta Gladiators exercised their “Right to Match” option to bring Naseem back to their squad. In response, Multan selected David Miller as their platinum pick. The following is a list of new players chosen in this year’s draft.
| Sr. # | Name | Category | Nationality |
| 1 | David Miller | Platinum | South Africa |
| 2 | Josh Little | Platinum | Ireland |
| 3 | Akeal Hosein | Gold | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 4 | Usama Mir | Silver | Pakistan |
| 5 | Usman Khan | Silver | Pakistan |
| 6 | Sameen Gul | Silver | Pakistan |
| 7 | Anwar Ali | Silver | Pakistan |
| 8 | Mohammad Sarwar | Silver | Pakistan |
| 9 | Adil Rashid | Supplementary | England |
| 10 | Arafat Minhas | Supplementary | Pakistan |
Complete Squad of Multan Sultans
- Mohammad Rizwan
- Khushdil Shah
- Rilee Rossouw
- Shan Masood
- Shahnawaz Dahani
- Tim David
- Abbas Afridi
- Ihsanullah
- David Miller
- Josh Little
- Akeal Hosein
- Usama Mir
- Usman Khan
- Sameen Gul
- Anwar Ali
- Mohammad Sarwar
- Adil Rashid
- Arafat Minhas
Final Thoughts
The first match of PSL 8 has set the stage for a highly entertaining tournament. With so many talented players on display, fans can expect some nail-biting finishes and some unforgettable moments. The excitement for the next match is already palpable, and fans can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the tournament.
Follow Graana blog for more PSL 8 updates.
