The 6 Original PSL Teams: History, Titles & Identity
Before the 2026 expansion, the PSL was six franchises with a decade of rivalries. This guide profiles the 6 original PSL teams — their titles, their identities, and what each brought to the league.
Quick answer: The 6 original PSL teams are Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators. Between them they have won 10 of the 11 titles — every season except PSL 11’s expansion year.
In this guide
The Six at a Glance
| Team | Titles | Identity |
|---|---|---|
| Islamabad United | 3 (2016, 2018, 2024) | The data-driven pioneers; never lost a final |
| Lahore Qalandars | 3 (2022, 2023, 2025) | The people’s team; Shaheen’s dynasty |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 2 (2017, 2026) | The entertainers; Babar’s army |
| Quetta Gladiators | 1 (2019) | The nearly-men; three runner-up finishes |
| Karachi Kings | 1 (2020) | The big-city giants, chasing more |
| Multan Sultans | 1 (2021) | The nearly-dynasty; 3 straight finals 2022–24 |
Team Profiles
- Islamabad United won the inaugural season (2016) and built a reputation for smart, analytics-led cricket. Three titles, zero final defeats.
- Lahore Qalandars were the league’s early underachievers — then became its first back-to-back champions (2022, 2023) and added a third in 2025.
- Peshawar Zalmi won in 2017 under Darren Sammy, made more finals than anyone, and ended a nine-year wait in 2026.
- Quetta Gladiators lost the first two finals, finally won in 2019 — and were runners-up again in 2025.
- Karachi Kings won in 2020 in front of their home crowd; the wait for a second continues.
- Multan Sultans (joined 2018) won in 2021 and lost three consecutive finals — the cruellest run in PSL history.
Great Rivalries
- Lahore vs Karachi — the El Clásico of Pakistani cricket, the two biggest cities.
- Lahore vs Multan — contested the 2022 and 2023 finals (Lahore won both, the second by a single run).
- Peshawar vs Quetta — the 2017 final and years of playoff battles.
- Islamabad vs Multan — the 2024 final, decided by 2 wickets.
More: all 8 PSL teams · the 2026 expansion teams · winners list.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the original 6 PSL teams?
Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators. (Multan joined in 2018, replacing the original five-team format.)
Which original team has the most PSL titles?
Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars, with three each.
Which original team has never won the PSL?
All six originals have won at least once — Karachi Kings (2020) and Multan Sultans (2021) each have one title.
