The ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees member made his PSL debut earlier this season on April 15 and will conclude his campaign after officiating in 10 matches. The Qualifier’s on-field umpiring duties will be managed by New Zealand’s Christopher Gaffaney and England’s Alexander Wharf, both esteemed members of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. Faisal Khan Aafreedi has been designated as the third umpire, with Zulfiqar Jan serving as the fourth umpire.
For both Eliminator matches, former Sri Lankan international Roshan Mahanama will lead the Playing Control Team. Mahanama has officiated in all 11 PSL seasons, bringing his total as match referee in the tournament to 127 matches.
In Eliminator 1, scheduled for April 29 between Hyderabad Kingsmen and Multan Sultans in Lahore, Shahid Saikat of Bangladesh will join Asif Yaqoob as on-field umpires. Rashid Riaz will serve as the third umpire, while Nasir Hussain has been appointed as the fourth umpire. For Eliminator 2 on May 1, featuring the winner of Eliminator 1 and the losing team from the Qualifier, the on-field umpires will be Ahsan Raza and Shahid Saikat. Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz will assume the roles of third and fourth umpires, respectively. The board has stated that the match officials for the PSL 11 final, scheduled for May 3, will be announced at a later date.
PSL 2026: Which teams will face in Eliminator 1?
The Eliminator 1 clash will take place between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United as one can expect a tight contest, with the winner earning a direct path to the final.
Peshawar Zalmi’s only defeat in the league stage came in their final game as reigning champions Lahore Qalandars ended their winning run. However, it wasn’t a cakewalk for the Qalandars as they overcame a mighty assault from Michael Bracewell, who belted eight boundaries and six maximums in his 45-ball 83-run knock to lift Zalmi to 199/4 in 20 overs. The reigning champions didn’t exactly begin their chase in an auspicious fashion as Mohammad Naeem perished in the third over. But Fakhar Zaman kept the runs and was largely aided by cameos from Abdullah Shafique (25) Charith Asalanka (33), Sikandar Raza (29) and Daniel Sams (35*) to complete a nervy six-wicket win with three balls to spare. But the win wasn’t enough to sneak into the playoffs. With the top two run-getters from Zalmi, they will take huge confidence going into Qualifier 1.
As for Islamabad United, they demolished they Hyderabad Kingsmen for 80 to win by eight wickets and followed it up by beating the Multan Sultans comfortably in pursuit of 193. Mark Chapman’s blistering 69* off 33 deliveries under pressure was instrumental as the United will be confident of giving Zalmi a good run for their money.
