The Pakistan Super League (PSL) witnessed its first-ever players’ draft, concluding a highly competitive auction at the Expo Center in Lahore, where all eight franchises acquired a total of 103 players.
The auction, which ran for several hours, saw Rawalpindi’s Naseem Shah become the most expensive Pakistani player, going for PKR 8.65 crore, while his teammate Daryl Mitchell was the costliest foreign player at PKR 8.05 crore. With the auction completed, the total number of players across all franchises now stands at 141, with each team finalizing squads of 16 to 20 players for PSL 11.
Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen secured Australian Marinus Labuschagne through direct signing for PKR 5.88 crore. Key retentions included Saem Ayub (Platinum, PKR 12.6 crore), Usman Khan (Diamond, PKR 4.62 crore), and Akif Javed (Gold, PKR 1.96 crore). Additional players acquired in the auction included Mohammad Ali (PKR 2.15 crore), Koshal Perera (PKR 3.1 crore), and Shahrukh Khan (PKR 60 lakh).
Rawalpindi Squad featured direct retentions like Mohammad Rizwan (Platinum, PKR 5.6 crore) and Sam Billings (Diamond, PKR 3.08 crore). Naseem Shah topped the auction purchases, while Mohammad Amir (PKR 5.4 crore) and Daryl Mitchell (PKR 8.05 crore) were among notable buys.
Islamabad United retained Shadab Khan (Platinum, PKR 7 crore) and signed Devon Conway directly for PKR 6.3 crore. Major auction buys included Faheem Ashraf (PKR 8.5 crore) and Mark Chapman (PKR 7 crore).
Peshawar Zalmi acquired Aaron Hardie (Australia) through direct signing for PKR 6.3 crore and retained Babar Azam (Platinum, PKR 7 crore). The auction saw Michael Bracewell (PKR 4.2 crore) and Khurram Shehzad (PKR 2.7 crore) added to the squad.
Karachi Kings signed Moeen Ali (England) directly for PKR 6.44 crore, retaining Hasan Ali (Platinum, PKR 4.76 crore). Big auction purchases included David Warner (PKR 7.9 crore) and Salman Ali Agha (PKR 5.85 crore).
Lahore Qalandars retained Shaheen Afridi (Platinum, PKR 7 crore) and acquired Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) directly for PKR 6.44 crore. Haris Rauf (PKR 7.6 crore) and Fakhar Zaman (PKR 7.95 crore) were major auction highlights.
Quetta Gladiators secured Spencer Johnson (Australia) through direct signing for PKR 5.6 crore and retained Abrar Ahmed (Platinum, PKR 7 crore). Key auction purchases included Khawaja Nafees (PKR 6.5 crore) and Riley Rossouw (PKR 5.55 crore).
Sialkot Stallions made history by signing Steve Smith (Australia) for PKR 14 crore, making him the most expensive player in PSL history. Other key retentions included Mohammad Nawaz (Platinum, PKR 6.16 crore) and Salman Mirza (Diamond, PKR 3.92 crore). Top auction buys included Sahibzada Farhan (PKR 5.7 crore) and Ashton Turner (PKR 4.2 crore).
The PSL 11 squads now combine international stars with emerging local talent, setting the stage for an exciting season filled with high-octane cricket action.
