Devon Conway to debut in PSL after IPL rejection [Source: @Awaisniazi7701, @ICC/X.com]In a latest move, New Zealand batter Devon Conway was signed by Islamabad United for the upcoming PSL 2026 season. The United locked him in for the significant price of PKR 63 million.Conway, interestingly, was forced into the IPL rejection pile. After being released by CSK, the New Zealander entered the mini-auction but failed to find any bidders.Devon Conway is set to make his PSL debutOn February 4, 2026, Islamabad United strengthened their squad ahead of PSL 2026 by recruiting New Zealand's star Devon Conway as a direct signing.The Kiwi batsman was signed for a reported price of PKR 63 million, making him one of the most prominent signings for the upcoming season. Moreover, the team formally announced the signing of Devon Conway through social media, introducing him as their new overseas star. The left-handed batsman will be making his PSL debut and is expected to play a crucial role in the opening.Devon Conway, on the other hand, is a part of the New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 squad and has a lot of international and league experience.He has represented New Zealand in 32 Tests, 43 ODIs, and 66 T20Is, scoring 1739 runs in T20Is at an average of 35.48. In total, he has played 229 T20 matches, scoring more than 7,000 runs, including two centuries.What is more interesting is that Conway was unsold in the IPL 2026 mini-auction. He was released by CSK despite a positive season but failed to grab a bidder. Moeen Ali commits to Karachi KingsApart from Devon Conway, England all-rounder Moeen Ali, another IPL reject, was roped in by Karachi Kings as a direct signing ahead of the new season, which is set to begin on March 26. The franchise shared the update on social media, confirming that Moeen was signed for PKR 6.44 crore under the league’s direct signing window.The experienced all-rounder brings a vast T20 pedigree, having been a regular feature in leagues around the world. Moeen has previously played in the PSL as well, representing Multan Sultans between 2019 and 2021, where he featured in nine matches.Apart from the PSL, Moeen has been a consistent presence in the IPL since 2018, playing for multiple franchises and contributing with both bat and ball.However, fearing rejection from the IPL mini-auction, Moeen Ali withdrew from the league and instead signed up with PSL as well.ECB denies NOC to England players for PSLThat being said, England’s leading cricketers were set to miss the PSL once again after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided not to grant NOCs for PSL 2026. As a result, several high-profile names such as Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jamie Smith and Adil Rashid were unavailable for the tournament. Kingsmen Hyderabad owner Fawad Sarwar confirmed that England’s red-ball players were unlikely to receive clearance, citing workload management and England’s packed international schedule. He suggested that the PSL had the potential to become the world’s second-best T20 league but had fallen short due to poor long-term planning and coordination with overseas boards.
