Some teams are franchises; the Quetta Gladiators are a family. The Purple Force gave Balochistan a place on Pakistan’s biggest sporting stage, reached three finals in the league’s first four years, lifted the trophy in 2019, and did it all with a culture built around loyalty: one owner since day one, Viv Richards as mentor from the very beginning, and a captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, who led for so long that he is now the head coach. As PSL 2027 approaches, the Gladiators arrive with whiplash in their recent record, runners-up in 2025, seventh in 2026, and a young captain in Saud Shakeel carrying the badge forward. This is their complete story.
Quetta Gladiators at a Glance
One title, four finals, a Roman warrior on the badge, and the most loyal cricketing family in Pakistan.
Quetta Gladiators: Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 (founding PSL franchise) |
| Owner | Nadeem Omar (Omar Associates), who also owns Galle Gladiators in the LPL |
| Original Franchise Fee | US$11 million for 10 years |
| Agreement Renewed | December 2025, for another decade |
| Home Ground | Bugti Stadium, Quetta (home matches usually staged in Karachi or Lahore) |
| PSL Titles | 1 (Champions 2019) |
| Finals Reached | 4 (2016, 2017, 2019, 2025) |
| Captain (2026) | Saud Shakeel |
| Head Coach (2026) | Sarfaraz Ahmed |
| Mentor | Sir Vivian Richards |
| Nicknames | Purple Force, Shan-e-Pakistan |
| Team Colors | Purple and Gold |
The Story: Balochistan’s Gladiators
When Karachi businessman Nadeem Omar of Omar Associates paid US$11 million for the Quetta franchise in 2015, he took on the league’s hardest brief: represent a province with no international cricket infrastructure, in a league whose matches would never actually be played in Quetta. His answer was to build something no money can buy: identity. The Roman gladiator’s Galea helmet on the badge, the purple and gold, Sir Vivian Richards as mentor from the very first season, and a core of players who stayed for years rather than seasons.
It worked immediately. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Gladiators reached the final in each of the league’s first two seasons, and stars like Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo all wore purple. The crowning night came in 2019, when Quetta beat Peshawar Zalmi in the final to lift their first, and so far only, PSL trophy. In December 2025, Nadeem Omar renewed the franchise for another decade, keeping intact the league’s longest unbroken owner-team bond.
Quetta Gladiators Season by Season (2020 to 2026)
| Season | Captain | Finish | Standout Performer |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSL 2020 | Sarfaraz Ahmed | Bottom of the table | The post-title hangover |
| PSL 2021 | Sarfaraz Ahmed | Missed playoffs | Rebuild years begin |
| PSL 2022 | Sarfaraz Ahmed | 5th (League stage) | Jason Roy 303 runs, Naseem Shah 14 wickets |
| PSL 2023 | Sarfaraz / Nawaz | League stage | Martin Guptill 310 runs |
| PSL 2024 | Rilee Rossouw | 4th (Playoffs) | Saud Shakeel 323 runs, Abrar Ahmed 10 wickets |
| PSL 2025 | Saud Shakeel | RUNNERS-UP (topped league stage) | Best league-stage record in the tournament |
| PSL 2026 | Saud Shakeel | 7th (League stage) | A brutal reality check |
2020 to 2023: The Long Winter
Few champions have fallen as fast. After lifting the 2019 trophy, Quetta finished at or near the bottom for four straight seasons, cycling through overseas stars, Jason Roy’s 303-run 2022, Martin Guptill’s 310 in 2023, without finding a settled core. The loyalty that built the franchise briefly became its weakness: an ageing squad held together by sentiment.
2024: The Reset
The rebuild finally clicked under new coach Shane Watson, the former Gladiators star returning in the dugout. Rilee Rossouw took the captaincy from Sarfaraz, young left-hander Saud Shakeel top-scored with 323, mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed emerged, and Quetta reached the playoffs for the first time since their title.
2025: One Chase From Glory
Then came the best league-stage campaign in the tournament. With Saud Shakeel now captain, Quetta topped the table with seven wins and a towering net run rate, and posted 201 in the final at Gaddafi. It should have been enough. Lahore chased it down with a ball to spare, and the Gladiators’ second star slipped away by the width of one over.
2026: The Crash
What followed defies easy explanation. In the expanded eight-team league, with Sarfaraz Ahmed now elevated to head coach and Moin Khan as director, the table-toppers of 2025 collapsed to seventh. The core remains young and talented, which makes 2026 look less like decline and more like the kind of season every rebuilding team suffers once. The 2027 auction will show which one it was.
The Family Business
No franchise in the PSL runs on continuity like Quetta. Nadeem Omar has owned the team since day one. Moin Khan has served as coach and director across a decade. Viv Richards still mentors. And Sarfaraz Ahmed, who captained the side for eight seasons, longer than any captain has led a single PSL team, now coaches the man who replaced him. Whatever the results, the Gladiators’ identity has never once wavered.
The Core of the Purple Force (2026 Squad)
The full 2027 squad, retentions and auction buys will be published on our PSL 2027 Squads section the day they are announced.
Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2027: What to Expect
Strip away the 2026 result and the ingredients of a contender are all still here: a captain entering his prime, a genuine match-winner in Abrar Ahmed, an ownership that never panics, and the memory of being one chase away from the trophy in 2025. In the two-group format, where 10 league games decide everything, the gap between seventh and the final is smaller than it looks; Quetta proved that in both directions across the last two seasons. Their fixtures will appear on our Quetta Gladiators Schedule 2027 page as soon as PCB releases the official PSL 2027 schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the owner of Quetta Gladiators?
Nadeem Omar of Omar Associates, who bought the franchise for US$11 million in 2015, renewed it for another decade in December 2025, and also owns the Galle Gladiators in Sri Lanka’s LPL.
How many PSL titles have Quetta Gladiators won?
One. The Gladiators won PSL 2019 under Sarfaraz Ahmed, beating Peshawar Zalmi in the final, and have reached four finals in total (2016, 2017, 2019 and 2025).
Who is the captain of Quetta Gladiators?
Saud Shakeel, who took over the captaincy and led Quetta to the 2025 final in his first full campaign in charge.
Who is the coach of Quetta Gladiators?
Sarfaraz Ahmed, the franchise’s legendary former captain, became head coach for 2026, with Moin Khan as director, Krishmar Santokie coaching bowling and Sir Vivian Richards continuing as mentor.
Why don’t Quetta Gladiators play in Quetta?
Their official home is Bugti Stadium in Quetta, but it does not host international cricket, so the Gladiators have historically staged home matches in Karachi and Lahore.
What happened in the PSL 2025 final?
Quetta topped the league stage and posted 201 in the final, but Lahore Qalandars chased it down with a ball to spare to win by six wickets at Gaddafi Stadium.
How long was Sarfaraz Ahmed the captain of Quetta?
Sarfaraz led the Gladiators for eight seasons, from 2016 to 2023, the longest single-team captaincy in PSL history, winning the 2019 title before eventually becoming head coach.
Which famous players have played for Quetta Gladiators?
Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo all wore Quetta purple in the early years, with Sir Vivian Richards serving as the franchise’s mentor since the first season.
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