While all the attention is focused on the IPL 2026 season starting from March 28, the league is also going to start in the neighboring country during the same period but before that there is turmoil there. The 11th season of Pakistan’s T20 League, PSL, is going to start from March 26, but just 4 days before that, major changes have to be made regarding the tournament. In view of foreign players leaving the league and the security situation in the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board has announced to organize the PSL 2026 season in only 2 venues instead of 6.
On Sunday, March 22, PSB President Mohsin Naqvi, after an emergency meeting, informed about important decisions regarding the league. Naqvi said that this time PSL will be organized only in Lahore and Karachi. This time the number of matches has also increased in this league, which is going to be held with 8 teams for the first time. But now all the matches will be organized only in these two cities. Not only this, the entire tournament will be played without spectators. The reason for this is the ongoing tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as the ongoing war in Western Asia.
Naqvi revealed in a press conference that for the last several days he had been discussing with the Prime Minister of the country and the franchise owners of the league. Due to the ongoing war in West Asia, the oil and gas crisis in Pakistan is deepening, due to which the Government of Pakistan has already appealed for savings. Citing this, the Pakistani board decided to organize the league in only 2 cities and without spectators so that minimum transport could be used and oil could be saved.
Naqvi also said that there was an option to postpone the tournament but after this there is no window available for organizing the league throughout the year. That is why it will be organized in the changed circumstances. Apart from this, many foreign players have withdrawn their names from the league in the last few days, a major reason for which is the tournament being organized along with the IPL. In fact, even in IPL, many players have been out of the tournament due to injury. In such a situation, some foreign players bought in PSL have now withdrawn their names from the league and entered IPL.