PSL 2026 to be played behind closed doors due to THIS reason
PSL 2026 will begin on March 26 and witness a battle between eight teams for the title.
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 is set to witness a battle between eight teams this season as two more teams in Hyderabad Kingsmen and RawalPINDIZ have been added for its 11th edition.
PSL 2026 also shifted from a draft system to an auction system this time following the addition of two new teams. The first-ever PSL auction took place on February 11 in Lahore, where pacer Naseem Shah was the costliest player.
The tournament will commence on March 26 with the opening game between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen. It will conclude on May 3 with the final. Hence, it will also clash with Indian Premier League 2026, which is slated to begin on March 28.
PSL 2026 to be played behind closed doors
Notably, PSL 2026 will be held behind closed doors. Also, the tournament will be restricted to only Lahore and Karachi. This has been done due to the ongoing West Asia war. Originally, the tournament was scheduled to be played across six cities.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are in a state of open war after months of cross-border battles escalated into direct state-to-state strikes. Recently, a Pakistan airstrike killed over 400 people in Afghanistan.
Paksitan Government has accused the Taliban Goverment over promoting terrorism through militants inside their borders. Also, many countries are facing repercussions of the ongoing war between Iran and the USA-Israel.
Recently, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi held conversations with Pakistan Prime Minister over PSL 2026, where these recommendations were discussed. Also, the matches will be conducted without crowds at the start and the practice will be continued till the West Asia conflict is solved.
Naqvi stated that the opening ceremony has been cancelled and a revised schedule with the new venues will be revealed soon.
“Consultations regarding the Pakistan Super League had been ongoing for the past few days, including with the Prime Minister and the security agencies. The government has been advising people to limit movement due to the ongoing global fuel and economic situation,” Naqvi was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz at a press conference.
“PSL is our international brand, and with foreign players involved, we had to consider our credibility as well. Postponing the tournament was not a viable option, especially since there is no available window later in the year. That is why, after consultations, it was decided that the PSL will begin on March 26,” he added.
When will PSL 2026 start?
PSL 2026 will start on March 26.
Why will PSL 2026 be played behind closed doors?
The tournament will be played behind closed doors due to West Asia conflict.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.