Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022

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The seventh edition of PSL is back and it promises to be bigger than ever. Six PSL franchises will be involved in high-octane clashes over a period of one month to be crowned as the champions of PSL 2022. Defending champions, Multan Sultans, will be determined to become the first team in PSL history to retain their title while the likes of Peshawar Zalmi, Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators will be looking to win their second title and tie their title tally with two-time champions, Islamabad United. Lahore Qalandars, on the other hand, will be looking to lift their first-ever PSL title and become the last team in the competition to lift the title at least once.

PSL 7 will be held from 27 January to 27 February at two venues. National Stadium Karachi and Gaddafi Stadium Lahore are the two venues that will host PSL 2022 as PSL returns to Pakistan after last year’s second-phase was held in UAE due to the pandemic.

Cricket fans in the country will be eagerly waiting to watch their favorite Pakistani stars and international superstars to light up the action in PSL 2022.

PSL 2022 Draft

The PSL 2022 draft will be held on 12 December. Each team will be allowed to retain a maximum of 8 players from their previous squad and will also be allowed to pick one extra player from their previous squad as the right-to-match card. This change allows the team to strategize accordingly and pick the best possible squad for the upcoming season.

As usual, major international superstars such as Rashid Khan, Chris Gayle, David Miller and Liam Livingstone are part of the draft and the franchises will be looking to acquire the services of top stars in the PSL 7 draft.

PSL 2022 Draft Pick Order

Lahore Qalandars have a golden chance to assemble a star-studded squad this time around as they have the first round picks in platinum, diamond, gold and emerging category in PSL 7 draft. Defending champions, Multan Sultans, have the second pick in the platinum category while former champions, Quetta Gladiators, have the last pick in the platinum category.

Karachi Kings are the only side who have only one first pick in 18 rounds of picks. Karachi will get to choose first in the fourth round of silver category picks. Islamabad United only have two first picks including platinum category’s third round and silver category’s fifth round in PSL 2022 draft.

Draft Rules

All franchises are allowed to pick at least 3 players from the platinum category, 3 players from the diamond category, 3 players from the gold category, 5 players from silver, 2 players from the emerging category, and 2 players in the supplementary category. In PSL 7, franchises are allowed to retain a maximum of eight players from their previous year’s squad and are also allowed to retain one extra player according to right-to-match rules. Each team will be allowed to have a squad of maximum 18 players. The team can play only four international players in each match along with one emerging player in their playing eleven.

Quetta Gladiators

Quetta Gladiators will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing outing in the previous campaign. The team finished outside the play-offs spot for the second season in a row and will be looking to add quality players to take them over the line in PSL 2022. Sarfaraz Ahmed will be once again tasked to lead his troops and the imminent arrival of Shahid Afridi will make them a force to be reckoned with once again.

Peshawar Zalmi

Peshawar Zalmi, one of the most popular teams in PSL, will be determined to go one step further this time around as they lost the final in the previous edition. Pakistan’s fiery left-arm pacer, Wahab Riaz, will lead the team once again and with the likely inclusion of David Miller, the team possesses star quality to take PSL 7 by storm. Wahab recently won the T10 League while leading Deccan Gladiators and he will be hoping to replicate his fine leadership and bowling form in PSL 2022.

Islamabad United

Two-time champions, Islamabad United, were unable to get past the eliminators after a record-breaking season in the group stages of the previous season. Star all-rounder, Shadab Khan, has been impressive as captain so far and with the added experience of captaining the side for two full seasons, the team are strong favorites for PSL 2022 once again. The star-studded squad will be determined to put in better performances in the crucial matches.

Karachi Kings

Karachi Kings have had a change in the team setup as Pakistan’s all-format captain, Babar Azam, has been appointed as captain of the franchise for PSL 2022 and they have also appointed former England coach, Peter Moores, as their head coach for the upcoming season. Kings will be determined to lift their second PSL title and they have enough quality in their side to become the second team to become two-time champions of Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament.

Lahore Qalandars

Lahore Qalandars will have to shake things up in the coming PSL 7 as they are the worst performing team in PSL history. They have finished bottom of the table five times in six seasons and have only qualified for the final once in history. They are the only side in PSL history to have not won the title and they will be determined to change their fortunes. It is expected that Pakistan’s ace pacer, Shaheen Afridi, will be appointed as captain of the franchise for PSL 7 and it would be a welcome change for the Qalandars.

Lahore will have to be smart in the PSL 2022 draft and build a balanced squad to have a strong chance to be a top contender for the title.

Multan Sultans

Defending champions, Multan Sultans, will be determined to become the first side in PSL history to retain the title and also become only the second team with two PSL titles. The team led by star wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan, have a strong squad and will look to add extra quality in the PSL 2022 draft as they look to continue their momentum from the previous season.

They have a strong mix of youth and experience which will be key for them once again in PSL 7.

PSL 2022 Venues

The seventh edition of PSL is returning to Pakistan after the second-phase of the previous tournament was shifted to UAE due to the ongoing pandemic. PSL 2022 is scheduled to be played in Karachi and Lahore with the first-phase set to be played at National Stadium Karachi which includes 15 matches. The second-phase will be held at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore with the venue scheduled to host 19 matches including the play-offs and PSL 7 final.

PSL 2022 Schedule

The PSL 2022 will be played in the same format as last year. Every team will play other teams twice in the group stages before the playoffs and the final. The tournament is set to start with the high-octane clash between defending champions, Multan Sultans, and former champions, Karachi Kings, at National Stadium Karachi on 27 January. The final of PSL 2022 will be played on 27 February at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

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