Every final is special, whether it is PSL, IPL, or BBL. The grand finale of any cricket tournament comes with its own spice, hype, and flavor. Let’s refresh our memories of each PSL Final:

PSL Final: Quetta Gladiators vs. Islamabad United 2016

The first-ever final of the league started with something unusual, Mohammad Irfan launched the final with a wicket with zero runs on the board. The boys in red’s decision to bat seemed to pay initially, but Ahmed Shehzad and Kumar Sangakara breathed a new life into the gladiators. Their contributions took the team to a decent target of 174.

Nervousness was unknown to Sherus as the viewers could see their confidence through the shots they played. Dwayne Smith’s 73 and Brad Haddin’s 61 took them closer to the finishing line. The scores became leveled in 18.2 overs, and then Misbah hit the winning runs, and it was done and dusted. Islamabad United has been crowned the champions of PSL season one. 

PSL Final: Quetta Gladiators vs. Peshawar Zalmi 2017

A PSL final was already something marvelous but a final being held in our homeland was the perfect cherry on top. Even with numerous players from Quetta refusing to come and the heartbeat of the crowd, Shahid Afridi, being injured, the excitement was still the same for many. 

Contrary to what many expected, it wasn’t at all a high-scoring game. 146 was all that Zalmi could score. The wicket-keeper batsman and the captain Darren Sammy however, proved beneficial. 

Fans already started perceiving Quetta as the winner, hoping they would not be bottling the PSL final for the second time. Cricket is an unpredictable sport, and it proved to be true when the batsmen were struggling to reach 100 runs. 

The openers returned to the pavilion at the beginning of the match. The middle-order also didn’t become much of a backbone, and the lower order looked clueless. These factors combined gave the yellow storm a victory and the gorgeous trophy of PSL season two. 

PSL Final: Peshawar Zalmi vs. Islamabad United 2018

National Stadium Karachi was the host and for the third year in a row PSL final saw no new team fighting for the cup. Once again, Peshawar didn’t put up many runs on the scoreboard but not every day is Sunday, and their lucky fate wasn’t waiting for them like last time. Two of their most experienced players Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez, disappointed the fans as they failed miserably.

Luke Ronchi came, and it would not be an understatement to say he conquered the powerplay. He was scoring runs with the speed of light. His half-century and his partner’s 44 runs were cheered on by the whole United squad. Faheem Ashraf hit the winning six, and Islamabad became the only team to win two PSL trophies (a record that still is with them)

PSL Final: Quetta Gladiators vs. Peshawar Zalmi 2019

The rivalry between Quetta and Peshawar is one of the most-watched ones. Hardly there is any match between the two teams that aren’t thrilling. Surprisingly both were in the PSL finals for the third team. Quetta had won none, while Peshawar had one trophy in their cabinet. 

Peshawar’s batting first gave the deja vu of last year as only the target of 138 runs was set. It wasn’t much to defend, and with Quetta desperate to win the PSL, it demonstrated to be inadequate. Sohaib Maqsood and Umar Amin’s efforts went into vain. Ahmed Shahzad’s half-century and Riley Rossow standing firm on the other end made the victory inevitable. 

Quetta finally managed to win a PSL final. Peshawar losing for the consecutive year was a sad affair, but the smile on Vivian Richard’s face lessened the agony even for Peshawar fans. 

PSL Final: Karachi Kings vs. Lahore Qalandars 2020

It was getting a little boring seeing the same teams earning a ticket to the PSL finals. Enthusiasts wanted to see different teams, and it was like a dream come true to witness kings playing against qalandars in an all-important match. The Pulao vs. Biryani debate was going to be settled once and for all. 

COVID-19 delayed the tournament, but it was rescheduled in the latter half of the year, and National Stadium Karachi held the final. 

The openers provided a decent start, but the hopes of Lahore were crushed when the hero of their previous games, Ben Dunk, left the stadium after scoring just 11 runs. The captain failed as well, and it led to the team’s short 134 runs target. 

Karachi’s platinum player and now the captain of Pakistan in all three formats, Babar Azam’s 63 runs, and various other players made the run chase convenient. The game was won in just 18 overs, and the kings won it on their home ground. 

Qalandar fans were shocked, and Karachi fans were over the moon; this was the PSL season 5 final summary.