Top 3 players who rejected IPL 2026 for PSL 2026 and their performances

For the second successive season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the tournament clashed with the Indian Premier League (IPL). As a result, a large pool of players was naturally drawn towards the cash-rich Indian league, leaving PSL with only a handful of stars to choose from.

While players like Blessing Muzarabani and Dasun Shanaka gave up their deals with PSL franchises to play in the IPL, a few players also showed no interest in playing in the Indian League but plied their trade in the Pakistani tournament. Here’s a look at three such players, who played in the PSL after showing no interest in playing the IPL:

1. Glenn Maxwell

The veteran Australian all-rounder opted not to register for the IPL 2026 auction after playing for 13 seasons in the tournament. Maxwell didn’t have good returns with the bat in the last two seasons, which left his IPL future in jeopardy. 

He was signed by PSL’s newly-formed franchise Hyderabad Kingsmen for the 2026 season for PKR 2.34 Crore. However, his poor form followed him there as well, with Maxwell scoring just 99 runs from eight innings at an average of 14.14 and a strike rate of 143.47 with one half-century to his name.

2. Adam Zampa

The Australia wrist-spinner chose not to register himself for the IPL 2026 auction due to the long duration of the event and dissatisfaction with the monetary compensation. He instead decided to put his name for the PSL auction for the first time and was picked up by Karachi Kings for PKR 45 million (approx. USD 161,000).

However, Zampa’s debut season in the PSL didn’t turn out to be a memorable one, with just five scalps from seven innings at an average of 43.20 with best figures of 2/11. His team also didn't have a good season as Karachi got knocked out of the tournament in the league stage with five wins from ten games.

3. Moeen Ali

The former England all-rounder was also among the players who chose not to register their names for the IPL, citing a lack of opportunities in the Indian league. He was then picked up by Karachi Kings as a direct signing in PSL for PKR 6.44 Crore.

Moeen had a decent season as an all-rounder, scoring 198 runs from nine innings. He also scalped eight wickets with best figures of 2/26.