The first Pakistan Super League season, PSL 1, was played from 4 to 23 February 2016 in the UAE, with five teams and every match staged in Dubai or Sharjah. Islamabad United won the title, beating Quetta Gladiators by 6 wickets in the final on 23 February in Dubai. It was the league’s debut edition, run by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Last checked 27 October 2026.
How did the first PSL season come about?
The tournament was first planned for Doha, Qatar, and was moved to the UAE in September 2015. It was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai and the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium in Sharjah. The opening ceremony and first match took place in Dubai on 4 February 2016. Five franchises took part: Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators. HBL was the title sponsor, which is why the season is often written as the HBL Pakistan Super League 2016. Total attendance was 201,609, about 8,400 a match.
What was the PSL 1 format?
The five teams played a double round robin: each team met every other team twice, giving eight league matches each and 20 in total. The top four teams reached the playoffs, which added four matches (a qualifier, two eliminators and the final), so by our count the season had 24 matches. The page playoff system gave the top two teams a second chance, as it still does. See format and playoffs for how the system works.
What was the PSL 1 points table?
| Pos | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peshawar Zalmi | 8 | 6 | 2 | 12 | +0.573 |
| 2 | Quetta Gladiators | 8 | 6 | 2 | 12 | +0.216 |
| 3 | Islamabad United | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | -0.282 |
| 4 | Karachi Kings | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | -0.036 |
| 5 | Lahore Qalandars | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | -0.536 |
Peshawar and Quetta both finished on 12 points, and net run rate put Peshawar first. Karachi and Lahore were level on 4 points, and Karachi’s better net run rate took the fourth playoff place. The champions, Islamabad, finished third with 8 points.
How did the PSL 1 playoffs go?
| Match | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifier | 19 February (Dubai) | Quetta Gladiators 133 (19.3 overs) beat Peshawar Zalmi 132/9 |
| Eliminator 1 | 20 February | Islamabad United 115/1 (14.2 overs) beat Karachi Kings 111/9 |
| Eliminator 2 | 21 February (Dubai) | Islamabad United 176/3 beat Peshawar Zalmi 126 (18 overs) |
| Final | 23 February (Dubai) | Islamabad United 175/4 (18.4 overs) beat Quetta Gladiators 174/7 |
Cricinfo records the qualifier at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and the second eliminator and the final were also in Dubai. We have not confirmed the venue of the first eliminator against a second source, though every match of the season was played in Dubai or Sharjah. The team pairings come from the playoff bracket on the season page. Islamabad reached the final by winning both eliminators. Quetta went straight there as the qualifier winner. The full scorecard is on the PSL 1 final page.
Who won the PSL 1 awards?
| Award | Winner | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the tournament | Ravi Bopara (Karachi Kings) | 329 runs and 11 wickets |
| Most runs | Umar Akmal (Lahore Qalandars) | 335 runs, average 83.75 |
| Most wickets | Andre Russell (Islamabad United) | 16 wickets, average 17.25, best 3/18 |
| Most catches | Umar Akmal (Lahore Qalandars) | 7 |
| Spirit of Cricket | Lahore Qalandars | Team award |
Lahore finished last in the table, yet its batter Umar Akmal topped the run chart. Where the champions’ title sits in the longer record is on the PSL winners page, and the next season is PSL 2 (2017).
Related reading: Later seasons played in the UAE are summarised in PSL in the UAE.
Sources: Wikipedia: 2016 Pakistan Super League and Wikipedia: 2016 Pakistan Super League final. These figures are awaiting a check against PCB records, as set out in our methodology.
Playoff dates, venues and scores were cross-checked on 27 October 2026 against match records and reports from Cricinfo, CricTracker, Dawn, the PCB and other news outlets.