PCB designates April-May window for PSL next year, to clash with IPL

The tenth season of the Pakistan Super League is all set to have a shift in scheduling as compared to previous editions. Ever since the inception of the tournament in 2016, it has been slated to take place in February and March, with 2020 and 2021 being the exceptions. During the aforementioned couple of editions, despite the event starting off in February itself, it culminated in November and June, respectively, owing to the pandemic disrupting the original schedule. Incidentally, the 2022 edition kicked off a tad bit early, commencing in January itself. However, the previous couple of editions have conformed to the same timeframe as the first four seasons of PSL.

Although the full-scale schedule of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to be hosted by Pakistan has not been finalised up until now, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently held a meeting with the stakeholders of the six franchises to discuss the window for PSL 10. The provisional period identified is April 7 to May 20 as of now. Notably, it will clash with the Indian Premier League as it is also held during April and May. 

As per official statements by the PCB over the past weekend, developments regarding the rescheduling of the Champions Trophy 2025 as well as Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi being the four venues to host PSL 10 matches were discussed. Additionally, the need to exploring alternative venues was also felt and the four playoff matches were proposed to be held at neutral venues. 

Also Read: PCB mark Lahore as only venue for India games at Champions Trophy 2025

2025 will be the very first time when both the IPL and the PSL will be transpiring simultaneously. Although the viewership of the leagues might not be affected drastically, the engagement of foreign talents might face severe hurdles. This comes after there being an obvious prioritization granted for the Champions Trophy, whose previous edition was held way back in 2017 in England. As a matter of fact, the 2025 edition will be the first-ever instance of Pakistan hosting the illustrious tournament.

The Chief Operating Officer of the PCB, Salman Naseer, stated that following the meeting which occurred on Saturday, the governing body plans to provide additional data to the owners of the franchises so that they can continue the delibrations amongst themselves, and arrive on a more thought-through decision regarding the same.

"We look forward to working closely with the franchises to make timely decisions for the future trajectory of one of Pakistan's biggest brands," said Naseer as quoted by Cricbuzz.