The eleventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will get underway today, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.
Defending Champions Lahore Qalandars and a new entrant in the League, Hyderabad Kings, will feature in the opening game of the tournament.
Cricket fans are eager to watch matches not only in stadiums but also on their television sets.
Two weeks ago, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that 44-match HBL PSL will take place from 26 March to 3 May.
For the first time, eight teams will participate in the PCB’s marquee event.
The eight teams in the 39-day event are Hyderabad Kingsmen, Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators and Rawalpindi Pindiz.
Among the eight sides, Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi Pindiz are the two new teams added following the HBL PSL Auction, acquired for PKR 175 crore and PKR 245 crore, respectively.
As per the schedule, each team will play 10 matches, with top four sides qualifying for the knock-out stage comprising Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the Final scheduled from 28 April to 3 May. The final will take place at the PCB headquarters, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday, 3 May.
The final will also have a reserve day, which is Monday, 4 May.
Last Sunday, the PCB had announced that the upcoming PSL season would be played behind closed doors and only in Lahore and Karachi due to a fuel crisis in the country, triggered by the war in the Middle East.
As per the original schedule, the tournament was set to be played across six venues – Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Multan, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi, notably, was due to host the Qualifier, but that has now been awarded to Karachi, with Lahore remaining the venue for Eliminator 1, 2 and the final.