PSL 11 auction: All you need to know

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released a comprehensive set of guidelines for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 player auction, detailing base prices, bidding rules, squad composition, and franchise purse limits as preparations for the 2026 season gather pace.

The details were shared following a PSL 11 auction workshop, held to brief franchise representatives and stakeholders on the recruitment framework for the upcoming edition.

According to the PCB, the PSL 11 auction will feature four base price categories, all denominated in Pakistani rupees. Players will be listed with base prices of Rs 4.2 crore, Rs 2.2 crore, Rs 1.1 crore, and Rs 60 lakh, which will act as starting points for franchise bidding.

To regulate the auction process, the board has also set minimum bid increments. Bids below Rs 1.1 crore will rise in steps of Rs 250,000, while bids under Rs 2.2 crore will increase by Rs 500,000.

For bids under Rs 4.2 crore, the minimum increment will be Rs 1 million, increasing to Rs 1.5 million for bids above Rs 4.2 crore. The PCB clarified that franchises are free to raise bids beyond the minimum increments if they choose.

Each franchise will be required to assemble a squad comprising a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 20 players. Teams may include between five and seven foreign players, depending on the final size of their squads.

In a move aimed at strengthening youth development, the PCB has made it mandatory for franchises to include at least two uncapped Under-23 players in their squads, with at least one such player required to feature in the playing XI.

The board further announced that players selected or retained for PSL 11 will sign two-year contracts. Franchises will be permitted to retain up to seven players for PSL 12.

From the following season, the league will adopt a grand auction format, allowing teams to retain a maximum of five players, with the remaining players returning to the auction pool.

The PCB also reiterated that each franchise may directly sign one foreign player who did not participate in PSL 10.

The standard franchise purse has been set at Rs 45 crore, with a possible extension up to Rs 50.5 crore to facilitate such direct foreign signings. The board said it would also assist franchises in attracting leading international players.