Islamabad, January 18, 2026: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) governing council’s working committee has approved a player auction for PSL 11 and finalised rules for player retention, a private news channel reported citing insiders.
The late-night meeting discussed key matters for the upcoming season, including retention policies and the draft system. The committee’s recommendations will now be sent to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi for final approval, with the option of convening a full governing council meeting if required.
Sources confirmed that all existing franchises — Lahore Qalandars, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, and Hyderabad — voted in favour of the auction system, as did Peshawar Zalmi and the newly introduced Sialkot franchise.
Under the agreed retention rules, the five existing franchises can retain four players each, one from each category, with the option to move a player into a lower category and designate them as a brand ambassador. New franchises, however, will pick their players entirely from the general auction pool, with the two new teams opting for zero retention.
The final auction and retention formula will be officially submitted to PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, with an announcement expected in the next day or two. Sources added that it may not be mandatory to include a player from the Emerging category in the playing XI.
The PSL 11 auction is expected to take place during the first week of February. Earlier, Naqvi encouraged franchise owners to increase player salary caps, highlighting the rise in franchise market value and the benefits of the auction model.
“Conduct an auction of players in the PSL 11 draft and select players of your choice — they will benefit from it,” Naqvi told franchise owners during the meeting.
PSL 11, set to begin on March 26, marks a significant milestone for the league as it expands from six to eight teams with the addition of new franchises from Sialkot and Hyderabad. The historic PSL 2026 auction, held at the Jinnah Convention Centre on January 8, saw FKS Group and OZ Developers secure the new franchises for Rs 1.75 billion and Rs 1.85 billion, respectively.
