Global Super League 2026 begins as Lahore Qalandars join five-team battle for $1 million title

WEB DESK: The Global Super League (GSL) 2026 has officially got underway in Guyana, bringing together champion franchise teams from five major T20 leagues to compete for a $1 million prize and global supremacy.

Organised by Cricket West Indies, the invitation-only tournament features champions from the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Big Bash League (BBL), International League T20 (ILT20), Major League Cricket (MLC), and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The third edition of the competition is being held from July 23 to August 1, with all 12 matches taking place at Providence Stadium in Guyana.

Pakistan are represented by Lahore Qalandars, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi. The squad includes Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Sikandar Raza and Haris Rauf as they aim to capture the international franchise title.

Defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors return as favourites after lifting the trophy last year, while Perth Scorchers XI, Desert Vipers and San Francisco Unicorns complete the five-team line-up.

The tournament features several international stars, including Rovman Powell, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mohammad Nabi, Chris Green, Kyle Mayers, Andries Gous, Aaron Hardie, Usman Khan and Andre Fletcher.

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Under the tournament format, all five teams will play each other once in the league stage. The table-toppers will advance directly to the final, while the second and third-placed teams will meet in a qualifier to decide the other finalist.

Lahore Qalandars begin their campaign against Perth Scorchers XI before taking on Desert Vipers, Guyana Amazon Warriors and San Francisco Unicorns in the league stage.

In the previous edition, Guyana Amazon Warriors defeated Rangpur Riders in the final to win the title. Rahmanullah Gurbaz finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 139 runs, while Imran Tahir claimed 14 wickets to emerge as the leading wicket-taker.