PSL 1 Schedule 2016 – Complete Match Fixtures, Team-wise Timetable & Results

Cricket fans, particularly in Pakistan, view the Pakistan Super League as more than just a sporting event; for them, it’s akin to a festival. But have you ever wondered how this league originated? Indeed, finding detailed and trustworthy information about its beginnings can be challenging, as essential details often become obscured over time due to the human tendency to forget

The first season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) took place from February 4 to March 23, 2016, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the supervision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Overall,they played total 24 matches during the tournament. The final game occurred on 23 February in Dubai, where Islamabad United faced off against Quetta Gladiators. Islamabad United emerged victorious, defeating the Gladiators by six wickets and securing the inaugural PSL title. The PSL organizers awarded Dwayne Smith the Man of the Match for scoring 73 runs, and recognized Ravi Bopara as the Player of the Tournament.”

Starting date: 4 February 2016
Ending date: 23 February 2016

Teams: In this tournament, a total of five teams participated:

Islamabad United

Karachi Kings

Lahore Qalandars

Peshawar Zalmi

Quetta Gladiators

Total Matches: 24 matches played

Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah

Islamabad United had a challenging start in the league; despite this, they finished third, securing a knockout spot. Following this, they won the eliminator against Karachi by five wickets, thanks to Mohammad Sami’s bowling. In Qualifier 2, led by Sharjeel Khan, they scored their first century and went on to defeat Peshawar Zalmi. In the final, batting performances by Dawne Smith and Brad Haddin contributed to a six-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators, making them the first champions of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Karachi Kings began their season with a victory against Lahore Qalandars, thanks to Mohammad Amir’s hat-trick. The team included top-class players like Shakib Al Hasan and Ravi Bopara, under the captaincy of Shoaib Malik. Although they lost 6 out of 8 matches, nevertheless, they qualified for the playoffs due to a better run rate. Before the Eliminator, Shoaib Malik stepped down as captain; consequently, Ravi Bopara took over the role. In the Eliminator, they faced Islamabad United, where they struggled, scoring only 111 runs and losing by nine wickets, ultimately ending their tournament run.

The Lahore Qalandars began their journey with two defeats: first, they lost to the Karachi Kings by seven wickets, followed by a nine-wicket loss to Peshawar Zalmi. Following this, they secured their first win against the Quetta Gladiators, thanks to Umar Akmal’s impressive 93 runs off 40 balls and Cameron Delport’s contribution of 73 runs, leading to a 63-run victory.

In their next match against Islamabad United, the Qalandars were unable to defend a total of 167 runs. Subsequently, facing the Karachi Kings again, they suffered another defeat, losing by 27 runs despite Ravi Bopara taking six wickets.

Following that loss, the Qalandars managed to win against Peshawar Zalmi by four runs, with Delport scoring 78 runs and taking three wickets. In their subsequent match, they posted a total of 201 runs against the Quetta Gladiators, with Azhar Ali scoring 61 and Chris Gayle contributing 60 runs; however, they lost by two wickets on the last ball of the match.

In their crucial final group match, the Qalandars could not defend a target of over 150 runs and lost by five wickets. Ultimately, they finished fifth on the points table, winning only 2 out of 8 matches and missing the playoffs. Nevertheless, despite the team’s struggles, Umar Akmal earned the Best Batsman award by scoring a total of 335 runs, which included four fifties.

The Quetta Gladiators had a strong season, winning against Islamabad United and Karachi Kings, and narrowly defeating Peshawar Zalmi. Despite this, they lost significantly to Lahore Qalandars while chasing a target of 195.

During the Sharjah phase, they outplayed Islamabad United and won against Karachi Kings, becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs. However, they then lost to Peshawar Zalmi but still set a world record for the last wicket. Against Lahore Qalandars, they successfully chased a target of 202 runs thanks to Mohammad Nabi’s heroics.

In the Qualifier, they beat Peshawar Zalmi by one run, with Kevin Pietersen scoring 53 and Aizaz Cheema taking three wickets in the final over. Mohammad Nawaz was named Man of the Match.

In the final, they faced Islamabad United; however, they lost by six wickets despite solid contributions from Ahmed Shehzad and Kumar Sangakkara. The Gladiators finished as runners-up, earning $200,000, with Shehzad as the leading run-scorer and Nawaz leading in wickets.

Before the start of PSL 2016, Peshawar Zalmi was considered the strongest team in the tournament, winning their first two matches against Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars. However, their winning streak came to an end with a close loss to Quetta Gladiators. Zalmi finished the group stages with six wins out of eight games, securing the top spot and qualifying for the playoffs.

In Qualifier 1, they faced Quetta again but lost by one run, as Zalmi managed only 132 runs to Quetta’s 133. Aizaz Cheema’s three wickets sealed the victory for Quetta. Zalmi then faced Islamabad United in an eliminator, where they fell short, scoring 126 runs while chasing a target of 177 set by United. Tamim Iqbal was Zalmi’s top scorer with 26 runs, and Wahab Riaz was their leading bowler with 15 wickets in the tournament.

On 19 February at the Dubai Stadium, the Quetta Gladiators defeated Peshawar Zalmi by just one run. Batting first, Quetta scored 133 runs, with Kevin Pietersen contributing 53 runs off 38 balls. For Zalmi, Darren Sammy scored 38 runs. The match tilted in favor of Quetta because of the impressive bowling performances by Mohammad Nawaz and Grant Elliott. The PSL organizers awarded Nawaz the Player of the Match for his efforts.

On 20 February, Muhammad Sami delivered a remarkable performance, taking five wickets for only eight runs. As a result, Karachi Kings were limited to a mere 111 runs for nine wickets. Islamabad United easily chased down this target in just 14.2 overs, with Brad Haddin scoring 52 runs and 29 balls remaining. Sami was named Player of the Match, and in this game, he notched his 100th T20 wicket. Karachi was eliminated in PSL 2016.

On 21 February, Sharjeel Khan scored the first century of the PSL, making 117 runs off 62 balls, helping Islamabad United achieve a strong total of 176/3. In response, Peshawar Zalmi was bowled out for 126 runs in 18 overs. Imran Khalid took four wickets, while Shaun Tait claimed two; together, both applied significant pressure on the opposition. For his outstanding century, Sharjeel was awarded the Player of the Match, and Islamabad United advanced to the final.

In the playoffs, only the top four teams could qualify.

(C = Champions, R = Runner-up, x = Final standing)

In table, “W” indicates a win in the playoffs, and “L” indicates a loss.

Despite a slow start, Islamabad United made a comeback in the playoffs and went on to win the PSL 2016 title.
Quetta Gladiators delivered an outstanding performance in the group stage, reaching the final, but ultimately lost their last match.
Peshawar Zalmi secured the top position in the points table, but they failed to capitalise on it in the playoffs.
Karachi Kings hardly qualified for the playoffs, and in Eliminator 1, they were eliminated from the tournament.
Lahore Qalandars remained in last place with 2 match wins and could not qualify for the playoffs.

The official anthem of PSL 2016 was “Ab Khel Ke Dekha,” which was written and sung by Ali Zafar. This song was first performed on 20 September 2015, at the launch event for the PSL logo. In Pakistani culture and international style, both elements are combined. The remix version was performed on 4 February 2016, at the opening ceremony in Dubai. A total of 25 people were included in the backing vocals for this song. This anthem was so catchy that everyone could sing it.

PSL 2016 coverage was outstanding, featuring professional live telecasts, experienced commentary, and excellent social media coverage, with fans showcasing great enthusiasm. The opening ceremony and official anthem built great energy in the fans’ hearts.

In PSL 2016, each team played against every other team at least twice in a round-robin format during the league stage. After these group stages, the top four teams qualify for the playoffs.

According to ICC rules, teams receive 2 points for each win, 1 point for a no-result, and 0 points for a loss. If scores are tied, a Super Over is held to determine the winner. If a Super Over cannot be played and the match ends in a tie, the team with the better ranking will be declared the winner. Team rankings are determined by the number of wins, losses, head-to-head results, and Net Run Rate (NRR).

Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah.

In PSL 2016, five teams participated. The draft selected all players. Organizers gave salaries to all players by category, in which,

Platinum: $130k-$170k

Diamond: $70k-$85k

Gold: $40k-$50k           

Silver: $15k-$25k

Emerging: $5k-$7.5k

Each team’s total salary cap was $985,000 for 16 players and $1.1 million for 20 players.

In PSL 2016, players delivered outstanding performances. Ravi Bopara received the award for “Player of the Tournament”. Umar Akmal was the top run-scorer, while Andre Russell got the most wickets.
Player of the Tournament :
Ravi Bopara (Karachi Kings)
Runs: 329
Wickets: 11

·  Century :

• Sharjeel Khan (Islamabad United) – 117 runs

·  Best Bowling Spell:

• Mohammad Sami (Islamabad United) – 5 wickets for 8 runs (5/8)

Other Awards :

• Spirit of Cricket Award: Lahore Qalandars

PSL 2016 proved to be a game-changer for Pakistan Cricket.  It introduced new talent and provided Pakistani players with new exposure, while also laying the groundwork for international Cricket in Pakistan. It increases professionalism through economic benefits and regenerates enthusiasm in fans. In short, PSL 2016 made Pakistani Cricket a global brand and increased the hope of a bright future for fans.

PSL 2016 has played a significant role in Pakistan cricket by raising the standards of the game and providing valuable experience through international players. This involvement has also reignited the passion of cricket fans.

The league has highlighted new talents such as Hasan Ali and Mohammad Nawaz, which strengthens the future of Pakistan cricket.

The PSL generates revenue for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and brings Pakistani cricket to a global audience, thereby enhancing its financial health.

Najam Sethi envisions making the PSL a fully Pakistani brand while also establishing it as an international brand that consistently promotes new talent.

Islamabad United defeated Quetta Gladiators by one run in the PSL 1 final, led by captain Misbah-ul-Haq.

The 2016 Pakistan Super League final occurred on 23 February at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, featuring the Quetta Gladiators against Islamabad United.

In PSL 2016, Umar Akmal scored 335 runs for Lahore Qalandars, making him the top run scorer.

In PSL 2016, Andre Russell was the top wicket-taker, claiming a total of 16 wickets.