Lahore Qalandars

Lahore Qalandars is a Pakistani professional cricket franchise that competes in the Pakistan Super League, representing the city of Lahore, the capital of Punjab. The team plays its home matches at Gaddafi Stadium and is owned by the Rana brothers.

Formed in 2015, Lahore Qalandars was the second-most expensive franchise sold during the inaugural PSL team auction and one of the few purchased by an international group. The team struggled in its early seasons, finishing at the bottom of the table five times, but later emerged as one of the league's most successful sides, winning titles in 2022, 2023, and 2025.

The team is currently captained by Shaheen Afridi and coached by Russell Domingo. Fakhar Zaman is the team’s leading run-scorer, while Shaheen Afridi is the leading wicket-taker.

In 2015, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that the inaugural season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) would be held in February 2016 in the United Arab Emirates. On 3 December 2015, the PCB revealed the owners of the five city-based franchises. The Lahore franchise was purchased by Kausar Rana Resources Private Limited for US$25.1 million over a ten-year period, making it the second-most expensive team after the Karachi Kings, which sold for US$26 million. Following the introduction of the Multan Sultans in 2018, sold for approximately US$41.6 million, Lahore Qalandars became the third most expensive PSL franchise.

In 2016, under the Lahore Qalandars Players Development Program (PDP), the franchise launched the "Jazz Rising Stars" talent hunt across eight Pakistani cities to identify emerging cricketers. Selected players were sent to Australia to train with the Sydney Thunder, while the top two performers were awarded the opportunity to play for the Qalandars. During the program, an ambidextrous fast bowler, Yasir Jan, was discovered by former Pakistan pacer Aqib Javed.

In the inaugural Pakistan Super League season, Lahore Qalandars drafted notable players including Chris Gayle, Umar Akmal, Dwayne Bravo, Azhar Ali, and Yasir Shah. The team struggled for consistency, winning only two of their eight group matches, and finished last in the standings. Despite this, Umar Akmal emerged as the tournament's top run-scorer with 335 runs in seven innings, earning the "Best Batsman" award. Lahore Qalandars also received the “Spirit of the Game” and “Fair Play” awards for their sportsmanship during the tournament.

Ahead of the 2017 season, Lahore Qalandars traded Chris Gayle to Karachi Kings for Sohail Tanvir and swapped Sohaib Maqsood for Aamer Yamin from Peshawar Zalmi. The franchise appointed former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum as team captain for the new season.

Lahore's campaign was inconsistent, highlighted by wins against defending champions Islamabad United and rivals Karachi Kings, but also marred by collapses such as being bowled out for 59 against Peshawar Zalmi. They finished the group stage at the bottom of the points table for a second consecutive year, failing to qualify for the playoffs.