Mohsin Naqvi PSL - (Source: X.com)
The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is less than a month away. The upcoming season will be the biggest in Pakistan’s history as the tournament will feature eight teams for the first time. The PCB is eyeing to compete with IPL, and for that, the Mohsin Naqvi-led board made massive upgrades to the league.
On January 8, the PCB auctioned two new teams and recorded whopping deals. FKS Group bought Hyderabad for PKR 1.75 billion. Meanwhile, the OZ group bought the rights for Sialkot Stallionz for PKR 1.85 billion, which is the highest value for any team in the history of PSL.
Drama Unfolds In PCB Before PSL 11
Besides adding two teams for the upcoming edition, Multan Sultans were also auctioned by the PCB after the board didn’t extend its contract following a tussle with Ali Khan Tareen.
The franchise rights were sold to Walee Technologies consortium for PKR 2.45 billion making it the most expensive team in PSL history as they acquired Multan Sultans to rebrand it as Rawalpindi.
The fans were upset that the Multan Sultans, who won the league in 2021, will no longer exist in the tournament as the franchise represented South of Punjab. However, in the latest events, the former team has made a dramatic return to the league.
Multan Sultans Return To PSL
In a significant development, Silakot Stallionz has been abolished and rebranded as Multan Sultans, marking a return to the PSL 2026. Notably, Sialkot Stallionz owner Hamza Majeed and PSL Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer confirmed the return during a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Tuesday.
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CD Ventures CEO Gohar Shah has bought the Sialkot Stallionz team for a whopping 200 billion rupees from the OZ group and rebranded the team to Multan Sultans, bringing joy to the people from south of Punjab.
Gohar Shah too expressed his delight upon Sultans’ return. “I am so happy that South Punjab representation is back in the league,” Gohar Shah stated to the media.
Notably, Sialkot has been abolished without even playing a league. The OZ group ran into financial difficulties and sold the team before it even played its first match.
Multan Sultans Squad for PSL 2026
Since then Sialkot, now Multan Sultans were a new team, they were allowed five direct signings before the inaugural PSL player auction.
Retained/direct signing: Mohammad Nawaz (6.16 cr), Mohammad Salman Mirza (3.92 cr), Ahmed Daniyal (2.24 cr), Saad Masood (0.84 cr), Steve Smith (Direct Signing).
Bought at the auction: Jahanzaib Sultan (0.6 cr), Sahibzada Farhan (5.70 cr), Ashton Turner (4.2 cr), Peter Siddle (2.5 cr), Tabraiz Shamsi (2.2 cr), Lachlan Shaw (0.6 cr), Delano Potgieter (0.6 cr), Josh Phillippe (2.3 cr), Shan Masood (0.65 cr), Momin Qamar (1.075 cr) and Muhammad Awais Zafar (0.6 cr).
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