The 2025–26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is a first-class domestic cricket competition in Pakistan is being played during the 2025–26 cricketing season from 6 October to 3 December 2025. It is the 68th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, and it is contested by 10 teams representing regional cricket associations.
Sialkot are the defending champions, having won the previous season.
Background For the 2025–26 season, the PCB announced a revamped domestic cricket structure, reducing the number of teams in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy from 18 in the 2024–25 season to ten, aiming to elevate the standard of competition. This decision followed criticism of the previous season's expanded format, which included 18 teams across three pools, leading to concerns about dilution of quality. The new structure emphasizes merit-based participation, with six teams retained from the previous season's standings and four additional teams qualifying through the 2025 Hanif Mohammad Trophy, a non-first-class tournament featuring 12 regional sides. The 2025–26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will feature 46 four-day matches across five venues, with the top performers from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy held from 15 August to 17 September 2025, earning spots in the tournament. This qualification system is designed to reward performance and ensure that only the most in-form teams compete in the premier first-class event. The PCB has highlighted that the restructured format aims to foster a high-performance culture, with top performers from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy also considered for domestic contracts and guest player roles in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Teams and qualification The ten participating teams for the 2025–26 season include six retained regional sides based on their performance in the 2024–25 season, and the remaining four spots were filled by the top two teams from each group of the 2025 Hanif Mohammad Trophy, along with two more teams with the highest points. As a result, Karachi Blues (96) and Multan (86) joined respective group toppers FATA and Faisalabad in qualifying for the 2025–26 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on the virtue of finishing as the next two teams with the most points. The 2025 Hanif Mohammad Trophy included 12 regional cricket teams: Abbottabad, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Bahawalpur, Dera Murad Jamali, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Karachi Region Blues, Karachi Region Whites, Lahore Region Blues, Larkana, Multan, and Quetta. This selection process underscores the PCB's focus on competitive merit and regional representation. + Method of qualification Berths Teams 2024–25 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy(Top 6 teams from the previous tournament) Abbottabad Bahawalpur Islamabad Lahore Whites Peshawar Sialkot Top 2 teams from the 2025 Hanif Mohammad Trophy, along with two more teams with the highest points across the two groups. Faisalabad FATA Karachi Blues Multan
Format The tournament will follow a round-robin format, with each of the ten teams playing against one another. The top teams will advance to a final to determine the champion. Matches will be hosted across four venues in Pakistan, ensuring accessibility and high-quality facilities.
Venues The venues for the 46-match QeA Trophy are Abbottabad Cricket Stadium in Abbottabad, Shoaib Akhtar Stadium in Rawalpindi, Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar and Diamond Club Ground and Marghzar Cricket Ground in Islamabad. City Abbottabad Rawalpindi PeshawarIslamabad Lahore StadiumAbbottabad Cricket Stadium Shoaib Akhtar StadiumImran Khan Cricket StadiumDiamond Club GroundMarghzar Cricket Ground Gaddafi Stadium Capacity4,0008,00035,00015,000 34,000 Matches 99999 Final
Team standings Points table
Progression Team League Matches Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Abbottabad 10 17 43 45 47 55 60 67 68 Bahawalpur 15 23 28 37 59 68 68 75100 Faisalabad 8 17 19 49 71 94 109 132 136FATA 10 17 41 45 55 67 94 101 107 Islamabad 10 19 22 26 40 65 74 78 105 Karachi Blues 13 38 42 536086110138 161 Champions Lahore Whites 12 23 29 39 63 70 76 99121 Multan 13 18 44 53 58 62 67 73102 Peshawar 8 29 53 80 84 87 109 132132 Sialkot 5 17 39 66 92 102 126 149 155 Runner-Up Note: Win Loss Draw
Round-robin The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released the full fixtures on 30 September 2025, with each team playing nine matches across nine rounds.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Final
Statistics Most Runs Runs Batter Team Average 100s 50s 1000 Saad Baig 10 19 1 55.55 154 4 3 899 Shamyl Hussain 9 16 2 64.21 131 3 5 838 Shahzaib Khan 9 18 1 49.29 167 3 3 837 Saad Khan 9 15 1 59.78 215 3 3 803 Azan Awais 10 17 1 50.18 164 3 3Source: ESPNcricinfo Last updated: 5 December 2025
Most Wickets Bowler Team 48 Ali Usman 8 14 21.10 3.04 41.56 6/65 63 47 Saqib Khan 9 17 20.59 3.57 35.94 7/34 30 38 Mohammad Abbas 7 14 15.39 2.56 35.94 6/78 4 1 32 Mohammad Ali 9 16 26.59 3.29 48.40 5/24 2 0 31 Khalid Usman 9 14 40.67 3.41 71.38 7/42 4 1Source: ESPNcricinfo Last updated: 5 December 2025
Broadcasters +CountryYearsChannelsPakistan2025–26tapmad
References
External links Tournament home at PCB Series home at ESPNcricinfo