From Misbah to Shaheen: All-Time PSL Winners List and Captains

Starting in 2016, the PSL (Pakistan Super League) has established its reputation as one of the top leagues in the world. The popularity of PSL depends on many factors. One of the major factors that played a crucial role was the captains of the franchise lifting the PSL title over the past 10 years. The list from Misbah to Shaheen: All-Time PSL Winners List and Their Captains, is a reflection of ultimate glory for their team. This article provides brief details on how all the captains helped their sides win the PSL title.

Read more: PSL Champion: Iconic Moments and Legendary Wins

A Glorious Journey: PSL Winners List from 2016 to 2025

Year-by-Year Champions Recap

Year	Winner	Runner-Up	Venue	Final Score Summary	Notes
2016	Islamabad United	Quetta Gladiators	Dubai (UAE)	IU: 175/4 (18.4 overs) QG: 174/7 (20 overs)	1st Title – Clinical Chase by Islamabad
2017	Peshawar Zalmi	Quetta Gladiators	Lahore, Pakistan	PZ: 148/6 (20 overs) QG: 90 all out	Underdogs won amid QG overseas withdrawal
2018	Islamabad United	Peshawar Zalmi	Karachi, Pakistan	IU: 154/7 (16.5 overs) PZ: 148/9 (20 overs)	2nd Title for Islamabad United
2019	Quetta Gladiators	Peshawar Zalmi	Karachi, Pakistan	QG: 139/2 (17.5 overs) PZ: 138/8 (20 overs)	First-ever title for Quetta
2020	Karachi Kings	Lahore Qalandars	Karachi, Pakistan	KK: 135/5 (18.4 overs) LQ: 134/7 (20 overs)	1st Title – Karachi finally champions
2021	Multan Sultans	Peshawar Zalmi	Abu Dhabi (UAE)	MS: 206/4 (20 overs) PZ: 159/9 (20 overs)	First title for Multan – dominant win
2022	Lahore Qalandars	Multan Sultans	Lahore, Pakistan	LQ: 180/5 (20 overs) MS: 138 all out	First title for LQ – home crowd erupted
2023	Lahore Qalandars	Multan Sultans	Lahore, Pakistan	LQ: 200/6 (20 overs) MS: 199/8 (20 overs)	Back-to-back titles for LQ
2024	Islamabad United	Multan Sultans	Karachi, Pakistan	IU: 163/8 (20 overs) MS: 169/9 (20 overs)	3rd Title – Tied for most titles
2025	Lahore Qalandars	Quetta Gladiators	Lahore, Pakistan	LQ: 204/4 QG: 201/9	3rd Title – Lahore wins at home again

Starting in 2016, Islamabad United, representing the capital city of Pakistan, lifted the title, beating Quetta Gladiators in the final. Islamabad United reached the playoffs, winning 4 out of 8 games. Beating Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi in the playoffs, Islamabad United booked their place to play against Quetta Gladiators. Islamabad United went with the flow and won the final by six wickets, lifting the first title of the PSL.

In 2017, Peshawar Zalmi won the final against Quetta Gladiators to clinch their first-ever title. It was a memorable moment for Pakistani cricket, as the first-ever international game in the country marked the return of players after a long break. In 2018, Islamabad United returned to action and lifted the second title of the PSL, becoming the most successful side of the PSL until 2022.

In 2019, Quetta Gladiators did all the homework and learned from their previous two bad experiences in the PSL final. This time, Quetta won the final and became the 3rd side to win the PSL trophy. PSL 2020 was an edition of ups and downs, as COVID-19 halted the tournament. However, after a gap of months, PSL 2020 resumed, and Karachi Kings delivered a magnificent performance. Karachi Kings beat Lahore Qalandars in the final and lifted the title for the very first time.

In PSL 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic broke the momentum of the tournament. The tournament shifted from Pakistan to Abu Dhabi. In PSL 2021, Multan Sultan won its first-ever title, beating Peshawar Zalmi in the finals.

In PSL 2022, Lahore Qalandars changed its captain and made Shaheen Afridi its new captain. Shaheen Afridi brought fortune for Lahore after his captaincy. Lahore Qalandars lifted their first-ever title, beating Multan Sultan. In this edition, PSL became the first-ever league worldwide where every participating side has lifted the title at least once.

In PSL 2023, Lahore Qalandars became the first-ever PSL franchise to win back-to-back titles. In 2024, old pits third returned, and Islamabad United lifted its third title, by beating Multan Sultan in a thrilling final. The most recent edition of PSL 2025 also brought a thrilling final. Lahore Qalandars lifted their third title and became the joint-most successful side of the PSL.

Teams with Multiple Titles

Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United are the two franchises that have won the title multiple times in PSL. Both sides have won the PSL title three 3-times each. Islamabad United was one of the best sides in the PSL from the beginning of the tournament. The winner of the first PSL season, Islamabad United, has consistently delivered an excellent performance in every edition of the PSL. It has the best winning record in the PSL finals. Islamabad United has won all the finals in which it participated.

Lahore Qalandar’s first 6 seasons of PSL were awful. In 5 out of 6 PSL editions, Lahore has only managed to qualify for the playoffs once. But after 2021, Lahore Qalandars just turned the tables and made extraordinary performances. Due to these performances, Lahore Qalandars secured their third title, defeating Quetta Gladiators in the final of PSL 2025.

Captains Who Made History: Meet the Men Behind the Trophies

Who Lifted the Trophy? Full Captain List by Season

Year	Captain	Team	Leadership Highlight / Key Performances
2016	Misbah-ul-Haq	Islamabad United	Calm and experienced leadership; rotated bowlers expertly in the final; relied on team unity.
2017	Darren Sammy	Peshawar Zalmi	Inspired players with energy and passion; led from the front with crucial runs & tactical brilliance.
2018	Misbah-ul-Haq	Islamabad United	Trusted youth like Asif Ali maintained composure under pressure, clinching a 2nd title.
2019	Sarfaraz Ahmed	Quetta Gladiators	Vocal leader; built a winning culture over seasons; aggressive field placements in the final.
2020	Imad Wasim	Karachi Kings	Cool-headed decisions; excellent bowling changes; led a well-balanced squad to maiden title.
2021	Mohammad Rizwan	Multan Sultans	Tactical genius; led with consistency; anchored innings & boosted team morale.
2022	Shaheen Shah Afridi	Lahore Qalandars	Young and fearless; trusted attacking strategies; bowled with fire in key knockout games.
2023	Shaheen Shah Afridi	Lahore Qalandars	Back-to-back champion; smart usage of pace attack; also delivered with the bat in the final.
2024	Shadab Khan	Islamabad United	Aggressive captaincy; led from the front with ball and bat; sharp field settings won pressure moments.
2025	Shaheen Shah Afridi	Lahore Qalandars	Third title as captain; mixed youth with experience; showed leadership maturity at home.

Misbah-ul-Haq lifted the title of PSL 2016 with a cool and calm demeanour. By lifting the PSL 2017, Daren Sammy became the first-ever overseas captain of the PSL. In 2018, Islamabad United lifted the title, with JP Duminy leading the side in the final in the absence of Misbah ul Haq. Sarfaraz Ahmed finally got his hands on the PSL trophy in 2019 after losing a couple of finals.

In 2020, Imad Wasim registered his name in the list of PSL-winning captains by making Karachi Kings the champions in that season. Muhammad Rizwan delivered an excellent performance in his first season as captain, leading Multan Sultans to the title in PSL 2021.

PSL 2022 was the glory year for Lahore Qalandars. Shaheen Afridi, the captain of Lahore Qalandars, became the youngest captain to win the PSL title. In 2023, Shaheen Afridi lifted another trophy for Lahore Qalandars. In PSL 2024, Shadab Khan finally got the results of consistent efforts as captain and won the first-ever title as captain. In PSL 2025, Shaheen Afridi became the first-ever captain to win 3rd title of PSL as captain.

Most Successful Captains in PSL History

Misbah ul Haq and Shaheen Afridi are the two captains who helped their sides win the PSL title twice. Misbah-ul-Haq is known for his defensive and calm personality in international cricket. However, in PSL, he made excellent contributions to Islamabad United, helping them lift the title in PSL 2016. In PSL 2018, Misbah ul Haq led the side for the whole season. In the final, due to injury, JP Duminy led the side to lift its second title in the third year of the PSL.

Shaheen Afridi turned the fate of Lahore Qalandars in PSL. In PSL 2023, Shaheen Afridi became the first captain in PSL history to win a second PSL title. He was the first captain to win consecutive titles in PSL. He has become the first captain to win three titles, having lifted the PSL 2025 trophy.

Young vs Veteran Leadership

Besides the winners, many captains in the PSL have established excellent records in the competition. In the category of successful captains, the prominent name is Sarfaraz Ahmed. Sarfaraz led Quetta Gladiators from 2016 to 2023. In his eight years of captaincy, Sarfaraz led Quetta to three finals and lifted the title in 2019.

The list of successful PSL captains is incomplete without the West Indian experienced captain, Daren Sammy. Daren took captaincy of Peshawar Zalmi in 2017. With the experience of winning 2 World Cups as captain, Daren Sammy took Peshawar Zalmi to win the first title in PSL 2017. During his captaincy era, Peshawar Zalmi played in three PSL finals.

Shaheen Afridi is another excellent name that has established itself among the successful captains of the PSL. His young and aggressive approach made his side win the title 3 times under his captaincy. The best example of his aggressive approach is the PSL 2023 finals. In the PSL 2023 finals against Multan Sultans, Shaheen came in a critical situation and made 45* crucial runs for Lahore. The results showed that Lahore Qalandars won the game by one run and lifted the title for the second time.

Patterns, Comebacks, and Surprises: Trends in PSL Championships

Repeat Winners and Dominant Eras

Team	Era of Dominance	Captain(s)	Achievements & Trends
Islamabad United	2016, 2018, 2024	Misbah-ul-Haq (2016, 2018), Shadab Khan (2024)	🔹 First team to win 3 PSL titles 🔹 Consistent playoff appearances 🔹 Early dominance & recent resurgence
Lahore Qalandars	2022, 2023, 2025	Shaheen Shah Afridi	🔹Only teamto win back-to-back finals🔹 3 titles in 4 seasons 🔹 Young, aggressive leadership reshaped team culture
Peshawar Zalmi	2017 Final Win Finalist in 2018, 2019, 2021	Darren Sammy (2017–2019), Wahab Riaz (2021)	🔹 Reached four finals in 5 seasons 🔹 Only 1 title, but consistent top-tier team 🔹 Blend of local stability and foreign stars
Multan Sultans	2021 Title Finalist in 2022, 2023, 2024	Mohammad Rizwan	🔹Most consistent team in recent era 🔹 4 straight finals (2021–2024) 🔹 Masterclass in rebuilding and cohesion
Quetta Gladiators	2016–2019	Sarfaraz Ahmed	🔹 3 finals in 4 years 🔹 Won 2019 title 🔹 Fell off after 2020 but returned to 2025 final
Karachi Kings	2020	Imad Wasim	🔹 Title in pandemic-delayed season 🔹 Lacked consistency before and after the championship

One thing that makes this league challenging is its competitiveness. Every side is balanced, making it difficult to decide the clear winner of the league or a game. Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi are the most consistent teams in this league. United won three titles and made it to nine playoffs in ten years. While Peshawar Zalmi won only one title, they also made it to nine playoffs in 10 seasons of the PSL.

Multan Sultans are the only side to play four back-to-back finals in PSL. From 2021 to 2024, Multan was so strong that it rendered every side weak in its presence. In the early years, Quetta Gladiators were at the top of the ladder. Therefore, over the past four to five years, their performances have begun to decline. However, in PSL 2025, they made it to the 4th final of PSL, which showed their strong comeback.

Lahore Qalandars have become one of the strongest sides in the PSL, having won three titles to date. In the first 6 seasons, Lahore played only one playoff. But in the next 4 seasons, Lahore Qalandars played three finals and won all of them. These performances showed their dominance in PSL. Karachi Kings were a well-built side in PSL 2020, having players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Amir. These players played a crucial role in helping the Karachi Kings lift their first PSL title.

Underdogs Who Defied the Odds

With a mixed performance, Islamabad United qualified for the PSL 2016 playoffs. In the Playoffs, Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi. With the easy win in the final, Islamabad United lifted the title in PSL 2016. PSL 2021, Multan Sultan made Muhammad Rizwan their captain. Muhammad Rizwan, who left defending Champions Karachi Kings, joined Multan Sultan with full wisdom. Muhammad Rizwan led the side so well that it beat Peshawar Zalmi in the finals, lifting its first-ever title with Multan Sultans.

In PSL 2022, Lahore Qalandars made excellent performances to reach the finals. However, their recent performances were below average; therefore, the circumstances favoured the Lahore Qalandars to lift the title. But Lahore Qalandars managed to lift the first-ever PSL title. In PSL 2024, Islamabad United secured a playoff spot with a crucial win over Multan Sultans.

In the playoffs, United’s win over Peshawar Zalmi boosted their confidence, and Islamabad United secured their 3rd title, defeating Sultans in the finals. In PSL 2025, Lahore Qalandars reached the playoffs with a win over Peshawar Zalmi in a do-or-die game. Following that victory, Lahore went on to beat Karachi Kings and Islamabad United in the playoffs. In the final, Lahore Qalandars chased 70+ runs in the final five overs to lift the 3rd title of PSL.

What We Can Learn from Past PSL Victories

In building every team’s fortune, there is one captain who played a crucial role in making their side the best team in the PSL. Misbah-ul-Haq set the direction for Islamabad United over the next few years after lifting the PSL 2016 title. For Peshawar Zalmi, the task was in the hands of Daren Sammy. Daren Sammy, with the vast experience of leadership in T20 cricket, did this task wonderfully. He was also one of the key players in bringing foreign players from Peshawar Zalmi to Pakistan for the PSL 2017 final.

Sarfaraz Ahmed made Quetta Gladiators the best side in the early years of PSL. His captaincy led the Quetta Gladiators to play in three finals in the first four seasons of the PSL. For Multan Sultan, Muhammad Rizwan played a crucial role in making it one of the toughest sides in the PSL. PSL 2025 was the only season in which Multan Sultan did not play in a PSL final since 2021.

For Karachi Kings, Imad Wasim lifted the title in PSL 2020. His captaincy records were excellent while playing with the Karachi Kings. Shaheen Afridi will be named the best captain for Lahore Qalandars after his retirement for his services to Lahore Qalandars. Shaheen Afridi changed the destiny of the Lahore Qalandars by lifting three titles in the PSL.

Beyond the Numbers: Captains’ Impact on PSL Legacy

Leadership Moments That Defined Finals

In PSL finals, some decisions become the biggest plus point for their side. The best example of the PSL 2023 final was when Shaheen Afridi came to bat before David Wiese. Shaheen Afridi scored 44* runs on just 15 balls. Another big decision of that final was given to young Zaman Khan. Zaman Khan saved 12 runs for Lahore Qalandars and helped the side lift its 2nd PSL title.

In the PSL 2018 finals, the batting of Asif Ali was brilliant as he scored 26* runs on just six balls. His explosive batting helped Islamabad United lift 3rd title. For Islamabad United in PSL 2024, Naseem Shah’s crucial 17 runs off nine balls played a key role in his side’s victory in the final.

In 2025, the inclusion of Sikandar Raza became the prominent reason that the Lahore Qalandars lifted their 3rd PSL title. Sikandar Raza came just in time before the game at the stadium from England. But in the final, he scored 22* runs on seven balls against Quetta Gladiators.

Fan Favorites and Cultural Icons

Starting from PSL, Sarfaraz Ahmed gained fame among fans due to Quetta’s excellent performances in the PSL. His extraordinary performance as captain of the Pakistan cricket team made him a fan favorite at that time. Under his leadership, Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy.

Daren Sammy achieved great success as an overseas player in the PSL. His excellent performance as captain of Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL was unforgettable. Imad Wasim changed the destiny of Karachi Kings by winning the first title of PSL in 2020. Misbah-ul-Haq will be remembered as one of the greatest captains of Islamabad United. His legacy is well carried by Shadab Khan, who lifted the title for Islamabad United in PSL 2024.

Muhammad Rizwan won the title in PSL 2021 and played four consecutive finals. Due to his excellent performance, he became a fan favorite, and his side gained a massive following. Shaheen Afridi became a fan favorite after winning three titles for Lahore Qalandars. His excellent performances for his side helped Lahore Qalandars become one of the best sides in the PSL. Besides the PSL winning captain, Babar Azam is the only player with a massive fan base. His excellent performances as a batter make him a fan favorite all across the country.

Legacy and Influence on Pakistan Cricket

The impact of PSL on Pakistan cricket is massive. A perfect example of this is the 2017 Champions Trophy. Pakistan lifted the Champions Trophy 2017 title under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed. The man of the tournament, Hasan Ali, showed an excellent performance in the PSL before making his international debut.

Fakhar Zaman, who made his maiden century against India in the final of the Champions Trophy, showed an extraordinary performance in PSL 2017. Shadab Khan was excellent with the ball in PSL 2017 and also showed an exceptional performance in the 2017 Champions Trophy. Haris Rauf is a pure PSL product, making a name for himself worldwide. His excellent spell in the T20 World Cup 2022 will be remembered for a long time.

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