A new chapter in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set to begin on Wednesday as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) holds the auction for two new franchises at the Convention Centre in Islamabad.
The move will expand the league to eight teams from the upcoming 11th edition of the PSL, scheduled to take place next year.
According to the PCB, six cities have been shortlisted for the two new franchises: Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Rawalpindi. Interested bidders will select two locations from the list during the auction process.
The board has confirmed that details of 10 bidders have been made public ahead of the auction, which will be broadcast live to ensure transparency and attract global interest from investors and cricket fans.
Earlier, PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Naqvi announced that PSL 11 will be held from 26 March to 3 May 2026. He also confirmed that the franchise auction would take place on 8 January, with the announcement made during a PCB investor roadshow in New York.
During the same event, Naqvi revealed that the PCB has taken administrative control of the Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium and plans to begin renovation work. He said efforts are under way to prepare the venue for future PSL matches, although completion before the next season cannot be guaranteed.
“We are starting work on Muzaffarabad’s stadium, which is now under PCB control. Our target is to make it ready before the PSL. If that is not possible, the work will still be initiated within this year,” he said.
The expansion is seen as a major step in the PSL’s growth, aimed at increasing regional representation, commercial value, and fan engagement across Pakistan.
