President’s Trophy Final Moved From Karachi to Lahore

• Suggested slug: presidents-trophy-final-moved-karachi-lahore-october-2026
• Category: Sports News
• Focus keyphrase: President’s Trophy final moved Lahore
• SEO title: President’s Trophy Final Moved From Karachi to Lahore
• Meta description: The President’s Trophy Grade-I final between SBP and MIT Solutions moved from Karachi to Lahore’s LCCA Ground a day before the Oct 25 start.
• Tags: President’s Trophy, domestic cricket, PCB, Lahore, Karachi, SBP, cricket, Pakistan
• Original element: local angle — the SBP squad had already travelled from Islamabad to Karachi and must turn around and travel back to Lahore for a five-day final; explainer on the tournament standings that set up the final
• Date: Friday, 2026-10-23

The highly anticipated final of the President’s Trophy Grade-I between State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Markhor IT (MIT) Solutions has been shifted from Karachi to Lahore, just one day before it was due to begin.

The summit clash was originally scheduled to be played at the SBP Sports Complex in Karachi from October 25 to 29, but underwent a venue change at the eleventh hour.

A squad caught mid-journey

Consequently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has informed both finalists about the venue change, with the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground now set to host the five-day fixture from October 25 to 29.

Notably, the venue change comes when the SBP team had already reached Karachi from Islamabad, and will now travel back to Lahore for the final, which will be played as per the schedule. For the players, it means an unwanted extra leg of travel on the eve of the most important match of the domestic season.

How the finalists got here

The matchup was confirmed after SBP finished at the summit with 107 points in seven matches, winning two and drawing five, maintaining an unbeaten record throughout the eight-team standings.

In their last-round match against Kingsmen Academy at the National Cricket Ground in Islamabad, SBP were set a 295-run target on the final day, but could only accumulate 208 for 3 despite opener Hasan Raza’s unbeaten century as they batted just 57 overs.

MIT Solutions, on the other hand, finished second with 96 points in seven matches, out of which they won two, lost one and drew four. In their last-round fixture, MIT Solutions handed Pakistan Television (PTV) a six-wicket defeat inside three days.

What the venue change means

Five-day finals are decided as much by conditions as by talent. Karachi’s SBP Sports Complex and Lahore’s LCCA Ground offer different pitches, different weather and different home comforts. The shift strips SBP of the home advantage they had banked on — they were due to play at their own employer’s ground in Karachi.

For MIT Solutions, the change is less disruptive, but both sides will have one fewer day of acclimatisation than planned. The PCB has not given a reason for the move.

Domestic red-ball cricket in Pakistan has been rebuilding its profile, with the President’s Trophy Grade-I among the tournaments feeding players into the national system. A well-played final in Lahore will give both squads a stage — even if one of them had to take a detour to reach it.

A tournament with a point to prove

The President’s Trophy Grade-I sits alongside the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as one of Pakistan’s premier first-class competitions, with departmental sides — banks, corporations and institutions — fielding professional squads. For players outside the national setup, it is the shop window: consistent performances here are what earn Pakistan A call-ups and, eventually, Test consideration.

SBP’s unbeaten run through the season — two wins and five draws from seven matches — was built on exactly the kind of attritional cricket that first-class finals reward. MIT Solutions, with two wins, one loss and four draws, showed they can take 20 wickets quickly, as their three-day demolition of PTV proved.

The LCCA Ground in Lahore, a venue steeped in domestic cricket history, will now host a final that deserves a proper contest. Both teams will hope the late venue shuffle is the last disruption before the first ball on October 25.