National Stadium Karachi: Match Tickets and Parking

National Stadium Karachi, currently sponsored as the National Bank Cricket Arena, is Pakistan's oldest surviving Test ground and holds about 30,000 people. There is no walk-in ticket counter for ordinary visits: you see the ground by buying a ticket to a match, and for recent PSL games those tickets were sold online, with prices from PKR 250 in the general enclosure. This guide covers how tickets work, what they cost, where to park and how to get in and out on match day.

Can you visit National Stadium without a match?

Not in any organised, ticketed way that we could confirm. The ground is run by the Pakistan Cricket Board and is closed to the public outside events, so treat it as a match-day destination. If you only want a look from outside, the stadium sits on the Karsaz side of Karachi, on the same stretch of the city as the Maritime Museum and the PAF Museum. See our guides to the Pakistan Maritime Museum and the PAF Museum for something to do the same day.

What has changed at the ground

The stadium opened in April 1955 and is known for Pakistan's strong Test record there. Ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy it was rebuilt in part: new floodlights, a new pavilion with hospitality boxes and a higher capacity, at a reported cost of around PKR 3.5 billion. It was reopened in February 2025, so pictures and reviews from before then show a noticeably older ground.

How to buy match tickets

For PSL 11 in 2026, the PCB moved sales online. Tickets went on sale on 17 March 2026 through the website of a courier company appointed as official ticketing partner. Some reports also mention e-tickets and collection points, but arrangements differ from tournament to tournament, so start from the PCB's own announcement for your match rather than a third-party seller.

A few practical points:

• Buy only from the official channel. Resold tickets and social-media offers are the usual source of trouble at the gate.
• Expect sales to open a few weeks ahead and the cheaper enclosures to go first for big fixtures.
• Bring ID. Past Karachi matches have asked for the original CNIC of the buyer, and a copy for anyone else named on the ticket. Check whether your match still does.
• Qualifiers and finals are priced differently from league games, as the flat PKR 500 for every enclosure at the April 2026 qualifier showed.

Ticket prices at PSL 11 (2026)

Prices are set per match by the PCB and change from season to season. For the six PSL 11 matches in Karachi, the published ranges were:

International matches such as Test matches and ODIs follow their own pricing. Test cricket in Pakistan has traditionally been cheaper than limited-overs games, but check the announcement rather than assuming.

Parking and getting there

For the PSL 11 qualifier on 28 April 2026, Karachi traffic police set aside two parking areas: the National Coaching Centre and the China Ground, both reached from Sir Shah Suleman Road. Traffic was directed by where you were coming from:

• From Karsaz: take Habib Ibrahim Rehmatullah Road, go under the stadium flyover and on to Sir Shah Suleman Road.
• From Millennium Mall: use Stadium Road and Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi Road.
• From New Town: follow Stadium Road and turn left after Aga Khan Hospital.

Heavy vehicles were banned from several roads around the ground, and drivers were asked not to park on main roads or service lanes. Different matches have used different parking sites, including shuttle arrangements from University Road in the past, so read the traffic plan issued for your date. It is usually published a day or two before in Karachi news.

If you can avoid taking a car, do. Ride-hailing works for arriving but is hard to find at the final whistle, so agree a walking meeting point a few streets away. For getting around the rest of the city, see our guide to Karachi public transport.

What to expect on match day

Karachi matches are mostly evening games in the PSL season, and arrival takes longer than the distance suggests because of road closures and security checks. In past seasons gates opened around three hours before the start, and it was sensible to enter early.

Security is tight. Past guides for Karachi matches said food, drink and handbags were not allowed inside and mobile phones were, but rules are set per match and can change, so travel light and check the ticketing notice.

Shade and heat matter too. A day game in the warmer months means hours in direct sun, while winter evenings by the sea can turn cool. Our Karachi weather by month shows what to expect for your dates.

Is it worth going as a visitor?

If you follow cricket at all, yes. A Karachi crowd at a PSL game is loud and friendly, and tickets in the general enclosure are cheap by any comparison. It suits families and groups who can spend an evening on it and who are comfortable with queues and checks.

It does not suit anyone on a tight schedule, or travellers who want a quiet sightseeing day: the ground has no visitor programme, and match days take over the surrounding roads. If your dates do not line up with a fixture, spend the time on the city's museums and old buildings instead, or browse our experiences. Our guide to places to visit in Karachi is a starting point, and our Karachi safety guide covers general precautions for large crowds.

Frequently asked questions