For ten seasons the Pakistan Super League (PSL) sold itself as a different product, based on the draft system and central control. That identity has now been shelved. From PSL 11, the league will move to a full player auction, a model the IPL has used since its birth in 2008. Although most of the global franchise leagues use draft system to sign players, PSL has gone backwards to the old auction system, which is basically synonymous with the BCCI-backed IPL.
PSL turns to auctions
The decision was taken after a meeting between PSL franchises and PCB chief executive Salman Naseer, with chairman Mohsin Naqvi pushing hard for the change. Most owners have agreed in principle and once Naqvi gives formal approval, the auction will replace the draft that shaped squads for a decade.
The workshop for team owners is scheduled for Sunday to explain the mechanics. What remains unresolved is retention. The five original franchises want to keep four players each, including their brand ambassadors. The two new teams are demanding zero retentions so they can start on an equal footing. The same issue occured in the IPL as well when two new teams in Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) joined in 2022. Back then, they were allowed to sign three players before the mega auction but only after the other eight teams announced their retentions. The PCB has proposed a middle path of three retentions per side, but the debate is still open.
New era in PSL
The new structure will come with a salary purse of USD 1.6 million (around INR 14.45 crore) per team. According to reports, howver, each franchise can retain a maximum of four players, limited to one per category, while the old provisions for mentors, brand ambassadors and Right to Match cards have been scrapped. Teams will also be allowed one direct signing of a foreign player who did not feature in PSL 10.
PSL 11 begins on March 26, the same day as IPL 2026, meaning many players who went unsold in the IPL are expected to land in Pakistan. Faisalabad has been added as a new venue, while two new teams were sold for INR 115 crore.
PSL franchises
| Team | Owner | Home Ground | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islamabad United | Leonine Global Sports | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi | 2015 |
| Karachi Kings | Salman Iqbal | National Stadium, Karachi | 2015 |
| Lahore Qalandars | Fawad Rana | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore | 2015 |
| Multan Sultans | To be managed by PCB | Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan | 2017 |
| Peshawar Zalmi | Javed Afridi | Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar | 2015 |
| Quetta Gladiators | Nadeem Oman | Bugti Stadium, Quetta | 2015 |
| Hyderabad | Kingsmen Group (FKS) | Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad | 2026 |
| Sialkot | OZ Developers | Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot | 2026 |
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