LAHORE (MNN); The inaugural player auction for the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is underway in Lahore, with fast bowler Naseem Shah emerging as the most expensive buy so far after being snapped up by Team Rawalpindi for Rs86.5 million — the highest bid of the event.
The auction witnessed intense bidding for several top names, including Fakhar Zaman, David Warner, and Muhammad Amir, before proceedings briefly recessed.
Last month, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that PSL 11 would adopt an auction model, replacing the previous draft system in a major structural shift for the league.
Wicketkeepers and Batters Draw Strong Interest
Bidding for wicketkeepers began with Azam Khan at a base price of Rs11 million. After a competitive exchange, Karachi Kings secured him for Rs32.5 million, edging out Sialkot Stallionz, who had bid Rs31.5 million.
Sialkot Stallionz responded strongly by signing Sahibzada Farhan for Rs57 million after outbidding Karachi Kings.
Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal and former ODI captain Kusal Mendis, along with West Indies’ Johnson Charles, went unsold.
Quetta Gladiators secured Khawaja Mohammad Nafay for Rs65 million.
Fast Bowlers Spark Intense Bidding War
In the fast-bowling category, Muhammad Ali was picked up by Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen for Rs21.5 million, narrowly beating Rawalpindi’s Rs20.5 million offer.
Chris Jordan and Muhammad Hasnain went unsold.
Lahore Qalandars successfully retained Haris Rauf for Rs76 million after fending off Rawalpindi’s Rs74.5 million bid.
Karachi Kings opened bidding for Naseem Shah at Rs65 million, followed by Islamabad United at Rs66.5 million. After a fierce back-and-forth contest, Rawalpindi clinched the star pacer with a winning bid of Rs86.5 million, prompting Karachi to withdraw.
Rawalpindi further strengthened their squad by signing Muhammad Amir for Rs54 million and Bangladeshi spinner Rishaad Hossain for Rs30 million.
Several spinners, including Mamoon Imtiaz, Ali Majid, Momin Qamar, Peter Hatzoglou, and Arif Yaqoob, did not receive any bids. Faisal Akram was later sold to Quetta Gladiators for Rs12.5 million.
Warner to Karachi, Fakhar Stays with Lahore
In the second round, Barbados all-rounder Kyle Mayers went unsold at his Rs11 million base price.
Lahore Qalandars retained Fakhar Zaman for Rs79.5 million after a bidding duel with Peshawar Zalmi.
Karachi Kings secured Australian batter David Warner for Rs79 million following strong competition from Peshawar Zalmi.
New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell attracted one of the highest bids of the round, going to Rawalpindi for Rs80.5 million.
Quetta Gladiators signed South African batter Rilee Rossouw for Rs55 million, while Rassie van der Dussen remained unsold.
All-Rounders Command Big Prices
All-rounder Faheem Ashraf drew one of the biggest bids of the auction, with Islamabad United securing him for Rs85 million against a base price of Rs42 million.
Imad Wasim and Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz went unsold, along with Hussain Talat, Asif Afridi, Danish Aziz, and Muhammad Zeeshan.
Aamir Jamal was picked by Peshawar Zalmi for Rs19 million, while Lahore Qalandars signed Usama Mir for Rs35 million.
Karachi Kings and Islamabad United engaged in a competitive bidding war for Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, with Karachi eventually winning his services for Rs58.5 million.
Auction Details and New Format
At the start of the ceremony, PSL CEO Salman Naseer addressed attendees, stating that following the conclusion of PSL 10, commercial contracts had ended and significant challenges lay ahead. He credited the PCB and PSL teams for their extensive efforts in preparing for the new auction-based system.
According to the PCB, more than 800 players registered for the auction. Base prices were set at Rs42 million (Platinum), Rs22 million (Diamond), Rs11 million (Gold), and Rs6 million (Silver and Emerging).
Minimum incremental bids were structured as follows:
Rs250,000 for bids under Rs11 million
Rs500,000 for bids under Rs22 million
Rs1 million for bids under Rs42 million
Rs1.5 million for bids above Rs42 million
Franchises are permitted to exceed these minimum increments.
Each team must have a squad of 16 to 20 players, with five to seven foreign players depending on squad size. A minimum of three and a maximum of four overseas players must feature in the playing XI.
Teams are also required to include at least two uncapped Under-23 players in their squad and one in the playing XI.
Players signed in the PSL 11 auction will receive two-year contracts. After PSL 11, franchises may retain up to seven players for the 12th edition. Following PSL 12, a grand auction will be held, allowing only five retentions per franchise.
Each franchise has a purse of Rs450 million, extendable to Rs505 million if signing a foreign player directly who did not feature in the previous season. The PCB will also contribute toward securing elite overseas players.
PSL 11 is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3 and will feature two new franchises — Hyderabad and Sialkot — increasing the total number of teams to eight.
