Before the packed stadiums in Lahore and Karachi, there was Dubai 2016: five teams, one trophy, and no idea whether the experiment would work. The first PSL winner was Islamabad United — and the way they won it set the template for a decade of franchise cricket.
Quick answer: The first PSL winner was Islamabad United, who beat Quetta Gladiators by 6 wickets in the PSL 1 final in Dubai (23 February 2016), chasing 175 with 8 balls to spare. Dwayne Smith’s 73 off 30 won the final.
In this guide
The Inaugural Season
PSL 1 (4–23 February 2016) featured just five teams — Islamabad United, Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi, Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars — playing 24 matches entirely in the UAE (Dubai and Sharjah), because international teams still wouldn’t tour Pakistan. Misbah-ul-Haq captained Islamabad; the squad blended Pakistani talent (Mohammad Sami, Sharjeel Khan) with overseas stars (Shane Watson, Andre Russell, Samuel Badree). Quetta, led by Sarfaraz Ahmed, topped the group stage.
The Final: Dubai, 23 February 2016
Quetta posted 174/7 — and for much of the chase, the Gladiators were favourites. Then Dwayne Smith exploded: 73 off 30 balls, turning the final on its head, and Islamabad cruised home by 6 wickets with 8 balls to spare. Smith took player of the match; Ravi Bopara — the tournament’s most consistent performer — was player of the tournament. Islamabad had gone from mid-table to champions in the playoffs, inventing the late-surge script the PSL would repeat for years.
The Legacy
That Dubai night proved the concept: Pakistani crowds would follow a franchise league, sponsors would pay, and the cricket would be genuinely good. Islamabad United went on to win twice more (2018, 2024), sharing the all-time record. The league came home — the 2017 final in Lahore, then full seasons in Pakistan from 2020 — and grew to eight teams by 2026. Every PSL story since starts here. See the full PSL winners list.
The Winning Squad
Islamabad’s 2016 squad was a masterclass in T20 construction: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Shane Watson, Andre Russell, Samuel Badree, Mohammad Sami, Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Dwayne Smith — the final’s destroyer. Coach Dean Jones and director Wasim Akram built a side around flexibility: Russell and Watson as multi-phase weapons, Badree strangling the powerplay, Misbah anchoring the chaos. The template — data, match-ups, calm leadership — still defines the franchise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the first PSL?
Islamabad United won the inaugural Pakistan Super League in 2016, beating Quetta Gladiators by 6 wickets in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Where was the first PSL played?
Entirely in the UAE (Dubai and Sharjah), because security concerns kept international players from touring Pakistan. The first final on Pakistani soil was PSL 2 in Lahore (2017).
