Pakistan Super League: All you need to know

The Pakistan Super League returns for its seventh season this week, with Multan Sultans looking to successfully defend their title.

After the sixth edition was moved to the UAE at the halfway mark due to Covid-19, the 2022 competition reverts to Pakistan, with Karachi hosting 15 of the 34 matches followed by Lahore for the business end.

Here's a quick look at the teams in the tournament - which you can watch live and in full on Sky Sports - and the players to look out for...

Coach: Azhar MahmoodCaptain: Shadab KhanBest Finish: Champions (2016, 2018)Last Season: Third

While he hasn't yet reached the heights he and his fans expect of him, Azam Khan's move to United could prove to be very beneficial. Islamabad's management are known for helping out young talent and given the fact Azam will have the likes of Paul Stirling and Alex Hales around him, it is possible that 2022 could be his year.

United's core bowling unit of Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf and skipper Shadab Khan has further been bolstered by South African paceman Marchant de Lange, who has a strike rate of 17.2 across all T20s. England left-armer Reece Topley is also in the United squad.

Islamabad were winners of the inaugural tournament and so far are the only team to win two titles, but have missed out on the trophy for the last three years.

After finishing rock bottom in 2020, United turned things around in 2021, winning eight out of their 10 matches to finish top of the table with 16 points, the most ever by a team in the PSL.

But they were then beaten twice in the play-offs, losing to Multan Sultans despite a 40-ball 70 from Usman Khawaja and then to Peshawar Zalmi in the second eliminator, when Hasan Ali's 16-ball 45 came in vain.

Coach: Peter MooresCaptain: