PSL moves from draft to auction model from 2026 season

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has announced today that it will switch to the auction model from PSL 2026 onwards, shunning the draft model which had been in place since the league's inception. Additionally, a host of changes have been introduced to the rules governing player acquisition and retention.

Earlier, the PCB was contemplating having a combination of draft plus auction, called "drauction" but finalised implementing an auction model. According to the board the move "is aimed at enhancing competitive balance, increasing transparency, and providing players’ greater earning opportunities."

When it comes to retentions, every team will be allowed to keep four players on their roster instead of eight. Those four players should come from each category; in other words, only one player from each category will be allowed to be retained. Subsequently, the released players will go into a pool from which all eight teams, including new ones Hyderabad and Sialkot, will be able to sign four players before the auction.

Meanwhile, the rules regarding mentors, brand ambassadors, and the Right-to-Match (RTM) option have been scrapped. Interestingly, every team will be permitted to sign a foreign player who did not participate in the previous season. The salary purse, too, has undergone a change from USD 1.1 million to USD 1.6 million.

All the changes stated above are said to have been discussed in the governing council meeting which was held in Lahore on Friday, January 16. The meeting was chaired by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and attended by PCB and PSL officials as well as representatives of all eight franchises. Incidentally, it is during this meeting itself the board had explored the option of having "drauction" for player recruitment.

The meeting also led to the finalisation of the start date of the upcoming season as March 26. Recently, the league added two new teams mentioned above for record-breaking sums - Hyderabad for PKR 1.75 billion (USD 6.55 million) and Sialkot for PKR 1.85 billion (USD 6.55 million).

The latest changes have been determined largely due to the addition of the new teams as it is imperative for the league to provide a fair competition for all the franchises both on and off the field.