They still have one match to go this year, but in PSL 2025, the Multan Sultans have put up one of the worst season performances in the history of franchise cricket.
With one win in nine games, Multan are set to equal the worst performance in PSL history in terms of win-loss ratio. The Karachi Kings had won one of their 10 matches in the 2022 edition.
What makes Multan’s season abysmal is the one-sided nature of their games. Two of their eight defeats have been by 120 runs and 87 runs (and two others by 47 and 33). They have lost a game with 13.1 overs to spare and another with seven. They also have the three lowest totals of this edition – 89 against Quetta Gladiators, and 107 and 108 against Peshawar Zalmi.
While one of the worst performances in the history of franchise cricket, Multan have at least won a game. Some teams have gone through entire seasons without winning anything. Despite that, they are threatening to break into the ranks of the worst seasons in franchise cricket.
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Teams with the worst seasons in franchise cricket
No team in the IPL, the LPL, or the SA20 has won fewer than two matches in any season. While some sides have had forgettable years, none of these leagues has a “worst-ever” nomination.
8. Jozi Stars, Mzansi Super League 2019/20 - 0 wins out of 10
The Stars lost all seven matches they played in the 2019/20 edition of the now-defunct MSL. They did pick up points from three no-result games, which has helped them feature higher on this list than they should have.
7. Central Districts, New Zealand Twenty20 (now Super Smash) 2013/14 - 0 wins out of 10
New Zealand are different from most Full Members: their premier T20 league has the same teams as their domestic cricket. CD in 2013-14 had two close competitors. Northern Districts in 2008-09 (one no-result, seven defeats) miss out because the next-worst team, CD, won only one game more than them that season compared to Wellington in 2013-14, who were placed just above CD but won four more games. And in 2010-11, Otago lost six in six, but they did not get enough chances: four of their games were washed out.
6. Karachi Kings, Pakistan Super League 2022 - 1 win out of 10
Karachi had an abysmal season in 2022, where they lost nine of their ten games. However, they finished with a net run rate of -0.891, which means that Multan (-2.708) have significant catching up to do to avoid being worse than them.
5. Durdanto Dhaka, Bangladesh Premier League 2023/24 - 1 win out of 12
“Overtaking” Sylhet Thunder of 2019 (one win, 11 defeats) was always a difficult task, but Durdanto Dhaka managed to match their “feat” in 2024. However, while one of Sylhet’s defeats (against Comilla Warriors) had been in the Super Over, Dhaka lost all their games convincingly.
4. Derbyshire Falcons, T20 Blast 2014 - 1 win out of 14
Of the nine teams with 12 defeats in a single season in franchise cricket, Derbyshire played the fewest completed games (13, one no result). It took them seven attempts to win a game in 2014, which probably puts them ahead of (or behind) the teams that have played at least as many – and won none.
3. Welsh Fire, The Hundred 2022 - 0 wins out of 8
The Hundred, a format with 20 five-ball overs, qualifies as T20 for all statistical purposes. In 2022, Welsh Fire lost each of their eight games, making it one of the most disastrous campaigns by any side.
2. Sydney Thunder, BBL 2012/13 - 0 wins out of 8
Yet another played-eight-lost-eight season, so why are they above (or below) the Welsh Fire? It is a marginal decision, based on the margins of defeat. The Thunder lost each of their games by at least 13 runs or with an over remaining. At least the Welsh Fire had a four-run defeat...
1. Saint Lucia Stars, CPL 2017 - 0 wins out of 10
One of the Stars’ 10 games got abandoned that season – after they had reached 46-1 in 8.1 overs (in other words, they were going nowhere). In the other nine, they lost by either at least 21 runs or at least four wickets. Two of their defences went into the last over, but there was never really a close game.
