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How to Bet on the Pakistan Super League - A Comprehensive Guide

Nikhil
27 Feb 2024
Nikhil Kalro 27 Feb 2024
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  • The PSL is Pakistan’s flagship franchise-based T20 competition for men. It was established in 2016, and is currently running into its ninth season
  • The unpredictable nature of T20 cricket adds a compelling subplot while betting on PSL matches.
  • Key factors to contend with includes squad strengths, team history, nature of the surfaces, team personnel and the combination of four overseas players among others.
  • Follow all legal obligations by choosing a licensed sportsbook.
pakistan super league
Pakistan Super League (Getty Images)

The Pakistan Super League had fast grown to become the second-most followed franchise T20 league after the IPL, and betting on the PSL is huge business.

The status of being the second biggest league is now being challenged by the rise of the SA20, South Africa’s franchise competition, but it hasn't seen interest drop.

The PSL hasn’t also been helped with player-availability issues, due to a number of overseas personnel committing to UAE’s ILT20 and the SA20, whose longer window makes it tougher for players to commit fully. 

That the tournament is scheduled close to the IPL greatly diminishes availability of A-list international starts for the entire season.

This, however, hasn’t dimmed the enthusiasm or following of the PSL which over time has continued to produce compelling contests and players who have gone on to represent the national team across formats.

The compelling nature of the contest has allowed for it to become a bettors’ favourite over time, thereby creating several opportunities for those willing to wager on teams in terms of a financial windfall.

Bangladesh’s best betting sites all offer the latest odds throughout the PSL, including attractive welcome bonuses and promotions.

Best Betting Sites For PSL

Understanding The PSL Format

Initially held in the UAE to attract the best of overseas talent and bring in crowds due to security concerns in Pakistan, the tournament has gradually found a way back to its traditional home.

Some of the top overseas stars were earlier offered handsome remuneration and signing contracts just to associate with the league and play games in Pakistan. That has slowly given way to a traditional draft system across different categories: Platinum, Silver and Gold based on the experience of the players.

Like most big leagues around the world, the PSL follows a franchise model with some of the country’s biggest corporate houses owning teams. 

Each of the six teams represent six different cities in Pakistan, including Lahore and Karachi - two of the biggest cricket centres in Pakistan that has fostered a healthy internal rivalry over the years.

The format includes a double round-robin stage that leaves each team playing 10 games in the group stages. This makes it a total of 30 league games in all, followed by four playoff games, including the final.

The top two teams play Qualifier-1, with the winner directly progressing to the final. The loser of that fixture has a second chance of making the final, with the format aiming to reward consistent teams. 

The loser of Qualifier-1 plays the winner of the Eliminator (between the third and fourth-placed teams) in Qualifier-2.

This winner then joins Qualifier-1 in the final.

Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators have won two titles each, while Multan Sultans, Islamabad United, Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi have won one apiece.

Qaladars have won the previous two seasons back-to-back and are hoping for a hat-trick under the leadership of Pakistan’s global superstar, Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Factors To Consider Before Betting

Conditions play a massive part in cricket. Surfaces are another aspect. Pitches in Multan have produced high-scoring run fests, while Lahore has offered a bit more balance mainly due to ground dimensions. 

Dew is another massive consideration at this time of the year, which makes the toss all the more vital. It’s likely teams winning the toss will chase to ensure they can capitalise on dew, which makes the ball skid on, thereby greatly reducing the effect of spinners.

Four of the top five wicket takers last year, for example, were all fast bowlers. The only exception was Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan leg-spinner and a global T20 superstar.

Team Analysis & Performance

Whether it’s your favourite team or one you think is worth taking a punt on, factor in the experience of their overseas stars, the recent form as one major consideration.

Look at the quality of local Pakistani players in the competition. If they’re international players, what has been their track record in T20 cricket. If they’re unknown domestic players, what has their performance been like during the domestic season for a fair idea.

Also look into their draft process and pre-season signings to understand who has been brought in to suit what skillsets.

Also factor in home advantage, which often manifests itself into a favourable proposition for teams given the fan base and knowledge of conditions, especially among the local players.

Popular Betting Markets

The nature of a T20 competition allows for different types of bets and several combinations of bets one can place. Here, we try and list a few of them you can wager on.

Match Winner

As the name suggests, this involves simply picking a winner out of the two sides and placing your bet on them. As mentioned above, you can factor in recent form, head-to-head stats, player availability, nature of surfaces and toss to predict an effective outcome.

Innings Runs

This simply means betting on a range of runs one particular team will score in an innings.

Top batter/bowlers

This is a favourite section for several top sportsbooks, where you can try and predict which batter or bowler will walk away with the top honours during a game. Do factor in recent player form and how likely they are to make the XI before taking your pick.

Session betting

While this may be risky for a novice who only has functional knowledge of the game, this type of bet can become fun and engaging if you’re data driven to dissect strategies and match-ups. 

Legal and Responsible betting

Ensure you’re never overboard by setting personal betting limits so that you have an enjoyable experience. One big mistake can often lead to a chain reaction of several errors that can hinder your betting experience. Above all, choose a licensed operator in your region.