Next season, the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will square off. Given that Pakistan will host the Champions Trophy in February and March of 2025, schedule overlap has become inevitable. The preliminary schedule for the PSL 2025 is set for April 7–May 20, which is also the IPL season. The Indian Premier League (IPL) this year began on March 22 and ends on May 26.
The possible interruption of the schedule for three domestic leagues—the UAE’s ILT20, South Africa’s SA20, and Pakistan’s ILT20—was covered by Cricket sport February 9.
The six PSL franchise owners met with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday to discuss the next season. “Due to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 being held in the traditional event window, the event window for the 2025 event will be 7 April – 20 May,” the PCB stated in a statement.
Following the conference, it was determined that matches would be held in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi, with each team playing a minimum of five games at home. The PCB stated that it will keep looking into new locations and added, “The four playoffs proposed to be staged at a neutral venue.”
This will be the first time that the PSL and IPL have conflicting dates. Although the leagues’ viewerships might not be directly impacted, foreign players’ participation might be impacted by the match.
Ever since the PSL began nine years ago, there has not been a window overlap. This year’s PSL took place from February 17 to March 18. However, the Champions Trophy, which is set to begin in mid-February of next year, has been given the February–March window. As a result, the PSL, which is regarded as the second-best franchise-based tournament after the IPL, had to find new dates.
Following this meeting, the PCB will provide franchise owners with additional information regarding the best window for HBL PSL 2025 and beyond. This will allow them to discuss the information among themselves, come to a more informed decision, and present their ideas and opinions at the General Council meeting. Salman Naseer, the chief operating officer of PCB, stated, “We are excited to collaborate closely with the franchisees to make timely decisions for the future trajectory of one of Pakistan’s largest brands.”
