MULTAN
\nAll set for the most anticipated tournament in the domestic calendar as HBL Pakistan Super League is going to start today with Multan Sultans, the winners of the 2021 edition would clash with the defenders Lahore Qalandars at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
\nIt is pertinent to mention that Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi would also host the matches of the 8th edition of PSL.
\nKarachi\u2019s National Bank Cricket Arena will host the second match of the tournament when the Karachi Kings will lock horns with Peshawar Zalmi.
\nQuetta Gladiators will begin their campaign in Multan on 15 February, whereas Islamabad United to play their first match on 16th February in Karachi.
\nAction will move to the northern half of the country from February 26 with Lahore and Rawalpindi hosting the latter part of the tournament.
\nLahore\u2019s Gaddafi Stadium will host the four playoffs and the final. This would be in addition to five league games alongside Rawalpindi stadium, which will stage 11 matches.
\nThe winner of the tournament will not only lift the Supernova Trophy but will also collect a cheque of Rs 120 million while the runners-up will receive a cheque of Rs 48 million.
\nFinal will be played on March 19th.
\nThe HBL PSL was conceived with the idea of providing a platform to the young and emerging cricketers who can have a flavour of international cricket \u2013 by playing high-quality cricket under pressure environment \u2013before graduating to the apex level.
\nThe first-ever HBL PSL match in Pakistan \u2013 the final of the 2017 edition in Lahore \u2013 brought World XI for a three-match T20I series before Sri Lanka played a solitary T20I in Lahore.
\nThe 2018 edition reopened the doors of international cricket for Karachi as the final between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi, after the two playoffs in Lahore, was followed by the West Indies\u2019 tour of the city for three T2oIs.
\nThe 2019 edition, when Karachi hosted eight matches, further boosted the confidence of international sides, and the 2020 edition, the first time Pakistan hosted the tournament in its entirety, established Pakistan\u2019s credentials as a destination that could host complete international tours.
\nAll six franchises have won the HBL PSL title at least once, which underscores the quality of all six sides and the higher level of competition in the tournament.
\nIslamabad United, the inaugural champions, was the only side to win the HBL PSL title twice (the second time in 2018).
\nPeshawar Zalmi won the 2017 edition. Quetta Gladiators, who were the finalists in the first two editions, won the 2019 competition.
\nKarachi Kings were the first side to win to lift the trophy at their home when they defeated Lahore Qalandars in Karachi in 2020. Multan Sultans bagged their maiden title in 2021. Last year, Lahore Qalandars lifted the HBL PSL trophy in Lahore.
\nBefore the HBL PSL 8 action kicks off, the Pakistan Cricket Board, in a continuation of its tradition, has lined up a glittering opening ceremony.
\nThe cricket fans in Multan and all around the world will see spectacular performances by different artists and one of the major attractions would be the performances of the singers of the HBL PSL 8 anthem \u2013 Abdullah Siddiqui, Asim Azhar, Faris Shafi and Shae Gill.
\nThe fans will also be treated to performances by the renowned music composer Sahir Ali Bagga and talented singer Aima Baig as the two add to the star-studded line-up, which will make the opening ceremony an unforgettable experience, said a press release issued here on Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MULTAN All set for the most anticipated tournament in the domestic calendar as HBL Pakistan Super League is going to start today with Multan Sultans, the winners of the 2021 edition would clash with the defenders Lahore Qalandars at the Multan Cricket Stadium. It is pertinent to mention that Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi would also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":313410,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-313383","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n