PSL Holds First Player Auction for 2026 Season

The Pakistan Super League held its first-ever player auction on February 11 in Lahore, marking a significant overhaul for the tournament ahead of its 11th edition in 2026. The event saw eight franchises secure 103 players through competitive bidding, with Australian batter Steve Smith emerging as the most expensive acquisition at approximately PKR 14 crore as a direct signing for the new Sialkot Stallions team. Fast bowler Naseem Shah commanded the highest auction price of PKR 8.65 crore, joining Rawalpindi, while all-rounder Faheem Ashraf went to Islamabad United for PKR 8.5 crore.

The auction replaced the league's traditional draft system, which had been in place for the past decade, and introduced greater strategic depth for team owners. Each franchise entered with a purse of around PKR 50.5 crore, adjusted for pre-auction retentions and direct overseas signings. Teams could retain up to four players across categories like platinum and diamond, and were required to build squads of 16 to 20 members, including at least five to seven overseas players and two uncapped under-23 talents, one of whom must feature in the playing XI. All auction contracts span two years, until the...