The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced that the new season of the QEA Trophy will start on October 6, 2025. This year’s edition will include ten regional teams, making it one of the most competitive domestic tournaments in recent years.
Matches will be hosted across four major cities: Abbottabad, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Rawalpindi. Venues include Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Shoaib Akhtar Stadium in Rawalpindi, Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar, and the Diamond and Marghzar grounds in Islamabad.
The tournament format will follow a single-league round-robin. Nine rounds are scheduled between October 6 and November 26. After the league stage, the top two teams will qualify for the five-day final, which is set to be played from November 29 to December 3. In total, 46 first-class matches will be played this season.
Several new teams have joined the competition after qualifying from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy. These include FATA, Faisalabad, Karachi Blues, and Multan. They will compete alongside Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Islamabad, Lahore Whites, Peshawar, and Sialkot. The expansion to ten teams highlights the PCB’s plan to give more regions a chance at top-level domestic cricket.
The opening round will feature exciting contests. Defending champions Sialkot will face Peshawar in a repeat of last season’s final. Other fixtures include Abbottabad against Bahawalpur, Lahore Whites versus Islamabad, FATA against Multan, and Faisalabad taking on Karachi Blues.
The QEA Trophy has always been the backbone of Pakistan’s domestic structure. Many national stars have come through this competition. With more teams and venues, the 2025-26 edition is expected to offer higher standards and more opportunities for young talent.
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