PSL 2026 auction: Date, time, rules & more; All you need to know about first-ever auction

PSL 2026 auction will take place on February 11.

Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 will see a historic update in the upcoming season, witnessing the first-ever player auction. The Pakistan’s franchise T20 tournament has favoured a draft system in the previous seasons, but will observe players going under the hammer for the first time in the PSL 2026 auction.

PSL 2026 is the 11th edition of the tournament, which witnessed its maiden season in 2016. The tournament has gained wide popularity among cricket fans in world. Although the tournament is not telecasted in India, it often makes headlines for its comparisons with the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Along with the player auction, the PSL 2026 will be expanded to eight franchises from the existing six teams. Moreover, the PSL 2026 auction has also brought several different rules for the next season. Below is all the information about the PSL 2026 auction.

PSL 2026 Auction: Dates, teams and rules

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has finalised February 11 as the date for the PSL 2026 auction. The two new franchises will be based in Hyderabad and Sialkot. Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators are the six existing teams.

Faisalabad has been added as an additional venue for the upcoming season. Each team will have a purse limit of PKR 45 crore (approx. USD 1.6 million) in PSL 2026 auction. They can pick a minimum of 16 players and a maximum of 20 players in their squad, including five to seven overseas players.

Also, franchises must pick at least three and a maximum of four foreign players in their playing XI in every match. Moreover, they must also add at least two uncapped U23 players to the squad, and at least one in each playing XI.

Teams can pick four players ahead of PSL 2026 auction

Ahead of the PSL 2026 auction, each of the six existing teams will be allowed to retain up to four players in their squad. The unpicked players will be available for the remaining two teams, who can also capture four members.

In PSL 2026 auction, the players will be divided into four categories according to these base prices- PKR 4.2 crore, PKR 2.2 crore, PKR 1.1 crore and PKR 0.6 crore. Additionally, the minimum bidding increments for each category are as follows-

• PKR 0.025 crore for bid amounts under PKR 1.1 crore
• PKR 0.050 crore for bid amounts under PKR 2.2 crore
• PKR 0.100 crore for bid amounts under PKR 4.2 crore
• PKR 0.150 crore for bid amounts above PKR 4.2 crore

Although every team will have a purse value of PKR 45 crore in the PSL 2026 auction, they will be allowed to directly sign one overseas player who didn’t feature in the tournament last year. For the move, the purse is extendable to PKR 50.5 crore, with the PCB also willing to contribute towards the signing of overseas players.

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