Naseem, Faheem Headline Record-Breaking PSL Auction
Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf emerged as the biggest earners at the Pakistan Super League’s first-ever player auction, securing record deals in a marathon event that reshaped team rosters across the competition.
Naseem fetched the highest price of the day, moving from Islamabad United to new franchise Rawalpindi for PKR 86.5 million. Close behind was Faheem, who returned to Islamabad United for PKR 85 million.
The auction marked a significant shift in the PSL’s player acquisition model, with the number of retentions per team reduced from eight to four. As a result, several franchises sought to reacquire familiar faces in a bid to maintain continuity.
Franchises Reclaim Key Players
Karachi Kings brought back their 2025 captain David Warner for PKR 79 million, while Lahore Qalandars re-signed Haris Rauf for PKR 76 million and retained Fakhar Zaman for an even higher PKR 79.5 million.
Rilee Rossouw also returned to familiar territory, rejoining Quetta Gladiators — the side he helped win the 2022 title — for PKR 55 million. Hasan Ali made his way back to Karachi Kings in a PKR 47.6 million deal.
Overseas Stars in Demand
Two New Zealanders attracted intense bidding wars. Daryl Mitchell was eventually snapped up by Rawalpindi for PKR 80.5 million, while Islamabad United secured Mark Chapman for PKR 70 million.
Among Australians, Adam Zampa joined Karachi Kings for PKR 45 million, while 41-year-old Peter Siddle earned a PKR 25 million contract with Sialkot Stallionz following impressive performances in the Big Bash League.
Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen, who had already signed Marnus Labuschagne directly and retained Saim Ayub, were relatively measured at the auction. The Pakistan-American franchise bolstered its identity by signing USA internationals of Pakistani origin Hammad Azam and Shayan Jahangir.
Lahore Qalandars picked up Ubaid Shah, the youngest brother of Naseem Shah, while Hunain Shah — initially unsold — later secured a contract with Hyderabad Kingsmen.
Limited Domestic Interest, One Standout
The nearly eight-hour auction saw limited demand for domestic Pakistani players. However, Sameer Minhas, fresh off a standout performance in Pakistan’s Under-19 Asia Cup triumph in December, triggered a bidding contest before Islamabad United secured him for PKR 19 million.
In contrast, fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani, who rose to prominence through the PSL, went unsold.
Full Squads Confirmed
Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen: Marnus Labuschagne, Saim Ayub, Akif Javed, Maaz Sadaqat, Usman Khan, Mohammad Ali, Kusal Perera, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Hassan Khan, Shayan Jahangir, Ottniel Baartman, Hammad Azam, Riley Meredith, Sharjeel Khan, Asif Mehmood, Hunain Shah, Rizwan Mehmood, Saad Ali, Tayyab Arif.
Islamabad United: Devon Conway, Shadab Khan, Salman Irshad, Andries Gous, Faheem Ashraf, Mehran Mumtaz, Max Bryant, Mark Chapman, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mir Hamza Sajjad, Sameen Gul, Sameer Minhas, Shamar Joseph, Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Dipendra Singh Airee.
Karachi Kings: Moeen Ali, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Saad Baig, David Warner, Azam Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shahid Aziz, Mir Hamza, Adam Zampa, Hamza Sohail, Aqib Ilyas, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Johnson Charles, Muhammad Waseem, Ihsanullah, Rizwanullah.
Lahore Qalandars: Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abdullah Shafique, Sikandar Raza, Mohammad Naeem, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Fakhar Zaman, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Farooq, Dasun Shanaka, Parvez Hussain Emon, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Tayyab Tahir, Gudakesh Motie.
Rawalpindi: Mohammad Rizwan, Sam Billings, Zaman Khan, Yasir Khan, Naseem Shah, Rishad Hossain, Daryl Mitchell, Mohammad Amir, Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Dian Forrestor, Laurie Evans, Asif Afridi, Kamran Ghulam, Fawad Ali, Mohammad Amir Khan, Shahzaib Khan.
Peshawar Zalmi: Aaron Hardie, Babar Azam, Sufyan Moqim, Abdul Samad, Ali Raza, Aamir Jamal, Khuram Shahzad, Mohammad Haris, Khalid Usman, Abdul Subhan, James Vince, Michael Bracewell, Kusal Mendis, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nahid Rana, Mirza Tahir Baig, Kashif Ali.
Quetta Gladiators: Spencer Johnson, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, Hasan Nawaz, Shamyl Hussain, Rilee Rossouw, Faisal Akram, Arafat Minhas, Jahandad Khan, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Wasim Akram Jnr, Khan Zaib, Bismillah Khan, Saqib Khan, Brett Hampton, Sam Harper, Bevon Jacobs, Saud Shakeel, Ben McDermott, Tom Curran.
Sialkot Stallionz: Steve Smith, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal, Saad Masood, Jahanzaib Sultan, Sahibzada Farhan, Ashton Turner, Peter Siddle, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lachlan Shaw, Delano Potgieter, Josh Philippe, Shan Masood, Momin Qamar, Muhammad Awais Zafar.