Lahore Match Guide: Every Game at Gaddafi Stadium
Fixtures, tickets, the stadium’s story and the match-day experience — everything about watching cricket in Lahore, updated for the October 2026 tri-series.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Quick answer: Lahore’s cricket lives at Gaddafi Stadium — 34,000 seats, home of the Lahore Qalandars, rebuilt in 2024–25 for the Champions Trophy. Next up: four ODI tri-series matches (Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka) on 25, 27, 29 and 31 October 2026, then a Test on 17–21 November. Tickets from Rs 200 at pcb.tcs.com.pk; carry your original CNIC and arrive two hours early.
At a glance
Gaddafi Stadium in numbers
Seating capacity
After the 2024–25 rebuild — up from 21,500, with LED lights and new screens.
Stadium opened
As Lahore Stadium; renamed for Muammar Gaddafi in 1974; first Test the same year it opened.
World Cup final
Sri Lanka beat Australia here in front of 62,645 — a Pakistan attendance record.
Matches, Oct–Nov 2026
Four tri-series ODIs in October, then a five-day Test in November.
Fixtures
Upcoming Lahore matches: October–November 2026
Lahore gets the second half of the ODI tri-series — then a Test. All games at Gaddafi Stadium.
| Date | Match | General ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 25 October 2026 | Pakistan v England (ODI) | Rs 300 |
| Tue 27 October 2026 | Pakistan v Sri Lanka (ODI) | Rs 200 |
| Thu 29 October 2026 | Sri Lanka v England (ODI) | Rs 200 |
| Sat 31 October 2026 | Final (top two sides) | Rs 400 |
| 17–21 November 2026 | Test match (5 days) | TBA |
Online tickets went on sale at pcb.tcs.com.pk on 10 October. The Saturday final suits families; Pakistan play two of their four league games in Lahore. Our Lahore match schedule page tracks every fixture, and what’s on today is updated through the season.
The venue
Gaddafi Stadium: the fortress
Pakistan’s largest cricket ground — and its most atmospheric.
Born as Lahore Stadium
Designed by architect Nasreddin Murat-Khan, it hosted its first Test — Pakistan v Australia — in its opening year. Renamed for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 1974.
Rebuilt for the World Cup
Architect Nayyar Ali Dada’s Mughal-inspired redesign — red brickwork, arches, individual seats — ahead of the 1996 World Cup, whose final Sri Lanka won here.
PSL’s home
Hosted three PSL finals (2017, 2022, 2023) and 49 PSL matches through 2024 — the league’s spiritual home and the Qalandars’ fortress.
The 117-day rebuild
Transformed in under four months for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025: capacity to 34,000, LED floodlights, replay screens, new Jinnah and Iqbal end pavilions — inaugurated by PM Shehbaz Sharif on 7 February 2025.
The full story — records, pitch behaviour and visitor tips — in our Gaddafi Stadium match guide.
Franchise fever
PSL in Lahore: the Qalandars’ home
No city owns the Pakistan Super League like Lahore.
The Lahore Qalandars are the PSL’s defending champions and its most successful franchise — three titles (2022, 2023, 2025), the last won at a packed Gaddafi Stadium in May 2025. Led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, with a development programme that has unearthed stars like Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan, the Qalandars turned home advantage into an identity: Lahore doesn’t just host PSL games, it is the PSL’s beating heart.
PSL 11 (2026) expanded to eight teams — newcomers Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi Pindiz — with Gaddafi Stadium hosting the season’s decisive leg including the final. (The 2026 edition was played behind closed doors under government austerity measures; the tri-series marks the return of crowds.) Our cricket match in Lahore fan guide covers the full experience.
Numbers
Gaddafi Stadium: the record book
Six decades of internationals, distilled.
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tests hosted | 41 — most of any Pakistani ground |
| ODIs hosted | 72 |
| T20Is hosted | 29 (men and women) |
| Record attendance | 62,645 — 1996 World Cup final, Sri Lanka v Australia |
| PSL finals | 3 — 2017, 2022, 2023 |
| PSL matches (to 2024) | 49 |
| Capacity today | ~34,000 (21,500 before the 2024–25 rebuild) |
| Capacity at peak | 65,250 in the late 1990s — then Pakistan’s biggest |
| First international | Pakistan v Australia, Test, 1959 |
| Latest rebuild | 2024–25: 117 days, LED lights, new screens, new pavilions |
The tri-series adds four more ODIs to the tally this October. Sources: PCB announcements, ESPNcricinfo ground records.
Heritage
Why Lahore is Pakistan’s cricket capital
Karachi has the history, Rawalpindi the crowds, Multan the new shine — but Lahore has the weight. It hosted the country’s first World Cup final. It was here, in 1987, that a semi-final slipped away and a generation learned heartbreak. It was the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus near this ground in 2009 that exiled international cricket for six years — and it was Lahore, with Zimbabwe’s 2015 tour and the PSL finals that followed, that led the homecoming. The PCB’s headquarters sit inside the stadium complex; the national team’s most iconic wins of the modern era — the 2017 Champions Trophy side’s homecoming, the Qalandars’ three PSL titles — were celebrated on these streets. When the tri-series opens here on 25 October, it won’t just be four ODIs. It will be Lahore reminding the world what a full Gaddafi sounds like. England and Sri Lanka both bring strong recent white-ball form, Pakistan have the home crowd, and the October weather — warm days, cool dew-laden nights — promises the high-scoring thrillers this ground is famous for. Whatever happens on the field, the stands will provide the soundtrack — that much is guaranteed.
Can’t get a ticket? Lahore watches together: restaurants and cafes across Gulberg, DHA and Model Town screen big games on projectors; the PCB occasionally sets up fan zones for major tournaments; and every match streams on the usual broadcasters. But nothing — nothing — beats being inside when 34,000 people rise as one.
Be there
Match-day guide: tickets, gates, getting there
Tickets
Online at pcb.tcs.com.pk; generals Rs 200–400 for the tri-series. Premium, VIP and hospitality tiers rise from there. Carry your original CNIC — no entry without it.
Arrive early
Gates open well before the first ball; security screening is thorough. Arrive at least two hours early — Ferozepur Road jams solid on match days.
Getting there
15 km from the airport, 8 km from Lahore Junction station. Nearest Metrobus: Kalma Chowk. Match-day shuttles run; ride-hailing reaches the outer gates.
Banned: power banks, helmets, outside food, banners on sticks. Allowed: flags, drums’ worth of lung power, and the famous Lahori noise.
Pro tips from regulars: buy tickets the day sales open — Pakistan games sell out in hours; the Ferozepur Road / Kalma Chowk corridor is the worst bottleneck, so approach from the Canal Road side if you can; keep your CNIC in a front pocket, not a bag, for the security line; and for day-night games bring a light jacket — October evenings in Lahore turn cool fast once the sun drops.
Legend
Moments that made the ground famous
The World Cup final
Sri Lanka chase down Australia’s 241 in front of 62,645 — still Pakistan’s record cricket attendance — with Aravinda de Silva’s unbeaten 107.
World Cup semi-final heartbreak
Australia edge Pakistan by 18 runs in the 1987 semi-final — the one that got away, in front of a stunned Lahore.
The attack
The terrorist attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus near the stadium suspended international cricket in Pakistan for six years — making the ground’s revival all the more emotional.
The homecoming
Zimbabwe’s 2015 tour reopened the gates; the PSL finals and the 2025 Champions Trophy completed Lahore’s return as a world cricket city.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Which stadium hosts cricket matches in Lahore?
Gaddafi Stadium on Ferozepur Road in Gulberg, Lahore — Pakistan’s largest cricket venue with a capacity of around 34,000 after its 2024–25 renovation. It is the home ground of the Lahore Qalandars and the headquarters of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
What matches are scheduled in Lahore in October 2026?
Four ODI tri-series matches between Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka: Pakistan v England on 25 October, Pakistan v Sri Lanka on 27 October, Sri Lanka v England on 29 October, and the final on 31 October — all at Gaddafi Stadium. A Test match follows on 17–21 November.
How can I buy tickets for a Lahore match?
Online tickets for the October 2026 tri-series went on sale at pcb.tcs.com.pk, with general-enclosure tickets priced from Rs 200 to Rs 400. You need your original CNIC for entry, and fans are advised to arrive at least two hours early for security clearance.
What is the capacity of Gaddafi Stadium?
Around 34,000 spectators after the 2024–25 renovation, which added about 10,000 seats, LED floodlights, new replay screens and hospitality boxes. At its peak in the late 1990s it held over 60,000.
Which PSL team plays in Lahore?
The Lahore Qalandars — defending PSL champions and three-time title winners (2022, 2023 and 2025). They play their home games at Gaddafi Stadium, which has hosted three PSL finals.
How do I get to Gaddafi Stadium?
The stadium sits on Ferozepur Road in Gulberg, about 15 km from Allama Iqbal International Airport and 8 km from Lahore Junction railway station. The Kalma Chowk Metrobus station is the nearest public-transport stop, with shuttle services on match days.
The home team
The Qalandars dynasty
From wooden-spoon jokes to the PSL’s greatest side.
PSL titles
2022, 2023 and 2025 — back-to-back champions, then a third crown at a packed Gaddafi in May 2025.
Title defence
The first franchise to win consecutive PSL titles (2022–23), ending the league’s “no repeat champions” curse.
Player development
The Qalandars’ development programme unearthed Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan and others from open trials — a model copied across the league.
The early years were grim — bottom finishes and meme status. Then came the rebuild around Shaheen Shah Afridi’s captaincy, a core of homegrown quicks, and a Gaddafi crowd that never stopped believing. The 2022 final win over Multan, the 2023 defence, and the 2025 triumph made Lahore the first city with three PSL titles — and turned “Qalandars” from a punchline into the league’s gold standard. When the next PSL comes to Gaddafi, expect the loudest home advantage in franchise cricket.
Never miss a ball in Lahore
Fixtures, results and the stories behind them — follow every match in our Pakistan Sports section.
Fixture details are drawn from PCB announcements and reputable schedule trackers, current as of the last-updated date. Schedules can change — confirm on pcb.tcs.com.pk before travelling. Maintained by the Feature Pakistan sports desk.