3 marquee players who could go unsold in PSL 2026 auction ft. Fakhar Zaman

Players who could go unsold in PSL auction [Source: AFP]

For the first time ever, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will have a mega auction as several high-profile names will go under the hammer. The marquee event will take place on February 11 as PSL will gear up for its new chapter on Wednesday.

879 players from across the globe have registered for the auction, and while some big names will be sold for a high price, others could go unsold as teams only have a certain number of slots left to be filled.

In this piece, we take a look at 3 big names who could go unsold in the PSL auction, with a Pakistan player also making the list.

1) Fakhar Zaman

In a not-so-surprising turn of events, Fakhar Zaman was not retained by the Lahore Qalandars when the retention list was announced, and this was not shocking since the batter is out of form and has lost his explosive skills in the T20 format.

The team went ahead with Shaheen Afridi as one of the retained players, but Fakhar was not considered as the player had been woefully out of touch in the game’s shortest format, and the numbers reveal the reality.

(Fakhar Zaman T20I stats in 2025)

• Fakhar Zaman scored just 22 matches and just 512 T20I runs in 2025. His strike rate was also questionable as the batter struck at just 127 and as a result, the player was demoted to the middle-order, and was also not picked in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup opener vs the Netherlands.
• At 35, Fakhar is not getting any younger, and the teams might not be interested in acquiring his services since they can get a younger player.
• In the last PSL season, he scored 439 runs, but it could be his international performances that prompt the franchise not to pick him in the upcoming auction. In 2026, his strike rate has been in the 70s, and the batter looks a pale shadow of his former self.

2) Jake Fraser-McGurk

Once known as the hottest commodity in T20 cricket, Jake Fraser-McGurk’s downfall needs to be studied. He had an astonishing IPL 2024 season, where he scored a plethora of runs for the Delhi Capitals at a rapid pace. However, that was the last time he looked fluid in this format.

(Fraser-McGurk T20I stats)

• Despite getting eight matches to perform for Australia, Fraser-McGurk flopped badly as he could only accumulate 115 runs, with an average of 14.38, and a strike rate of just 133.72.
• Interestingly, in the IPL 2025 season, the Aussie could only score 55 runs in six matches, with a strike rate of 105. He is still young, but the PSL franchises might be looking at other explosive options in the auction.

3) Dasun Shanaka

• The Sri Lankan player, Dasun Shanaka has been going through a rough patch and despite registering his name in the PSL auction, the all-rounder could go unsold. His recent stats have been horrendous for Sri Lanka, and the cricketer has not delivered with either bat or ball in recent times.
• In 2025, he played 17 T20I games and scored just 220 runs with a strike rate of 132. With the ball, he only scalped 8 wickets as the all-rounder was ineffective with the white cherry in hand. If a PSL franchise needs an all-rounder, they can run after a younger option, with an explosive hitting ability instead of Shanaka.