5
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has reached a key milestone as the PSL 2026 Retention round ended, with five existing franchises announcing their retained players, ahead of the league’s first-ever player auction on 11 February 2026. The tournament is scheduled to begin on March 26, 2026. Under new rules, each team may keep only four players, one from each category: Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver making retention decisions significantly tougher than in previous seasons.
Multan Sultans have yet to announce their official retained list, after the recent PSL 2026 retention round ended, leaving fans and pundits waiting to see when they will unveil their retained players. Some pundits are expecting them to reveal their retained players list after the Multan Sultans’ Auction, which is supposed to happen this week.
Team-Wise Retentions & Released Players at the end of the PSL 2026 Retention round.
Islamabad United
Retained:
Shadab Khan (Platinum) – 7 Crore PKR
Salman Irshad (Gold) – 1.2 Crore
Andries Gous (Silver) – 1.4 Crore
Released / Available for Auction:
Naseem Shah
Sahibzada Farhan
Salman Ali Agha
Mohammad Nawaz
United’s retention signals faith in Shadab’s leadership and pace depth, while the large number of releases opens the door for fresh batting and bowling options at the auction.
Karachi Kings
Retained:
Hasan Ali (Platinum) – 4.76 Crore PKR
Abbas Afridi (Diamond) – 3.08 Crore
Khushdil Shah (Gold) – 3.36 Crore
Saad Baig (Emerging) – 60 Lakh
Released / Available for Auction:
David Warner (captain last season)
Shan Masood
Irfan Khan Niazi
The Kings kept a core of emergent talent and pace strength but left several expected picks like Warner and Masood in the auction pool.
Lahore Qalandars
Retained:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum)
Abdullah Shafique (Diamond)
Sikandar Raza (Gold)
Mohammad Naeem (Emerging)
Released / Available for Auction:
Haris Rauf
Fakhar Zaman
Salman Mirza
Lahore’s big decisions included letting go of high-impact names like Haris Rauf and Fakhar Zaman, making them auction targets for all teams.
Peshawar Zalmi
Retained
Babar Azam (Platinum) – 7 Crore PKR
Sufiyan Muqeem (Diamond) – 4.48 Crore
Abdul Samad (Gold) – 2.28 Crore
Ali Raza (Emerging) – 1.96 Crore
Released / Available for Auction:
Saim Ayub
Muhammad Haris
Rovman Powell
Zalmi kept their captain Babar Azam and key spin bowler Sufiyan Muqeem but had to let go of the uber-talented Saim Ayoub in the process.
Quetta Gladiators
Retained:
Abrar Ahmed (Platinum)
Usman Tariq (Diamond)
Hassan Nawaz (Gold)
Shmyl Hussain (Emerging)
Released / Available for Auction:
Mohammad Amir
Faheem Ashraf
Saud Shakeel
The Gladiators have kept a mix of spin, batting promise, and youth while releasing some experienced names, including their skipper, Saud Shakil.
Multan Sultans
Retentions: Not announced yet, retaining players are expected before the deadline, but official confirmation is pending after the conclusion of the first round of the PSL 2026 retention round.
Read more: Tareen vs PCB: Who Holds the Ownership of Multan Sultans?
Released Players Who Could Shape the Auction Pool
Some of the major names now available for bidding include
Haris Rauf
Fakhar Zaman
David Warner
Saim Ayub
Mohammad Amir
Faheem Ashraf
Saud Shakeel
Mohammad Wasim Jr.
These are some of the players who could become auction standouts given their experience and pedigree, particularly as the two new franchises, Kingsmen Hyderabad and Sialkot Stallionz, build squads for their debut season.
New Franchises: Hyderabad & Sialkot – Early Moves
The new franchises have until 6 February to select up to four players from the released pool before the auction. One of the early big moves has already been made: Steve Smith has signed with the Sialkot Stallionz as a marquee pick, marking his first PSL stint.
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐒𝐋 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: A game changer, powerhouse player, we welcome 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 on board as a Stallion! 🐎
SS x SS – Lets goooooo🔥#SialkotStaliionz #HBLPSL #NewEra pic.twitter.com/OmMNJXBxVA
— Sialkot Stallionz (@PSLStallionz) February 3, 2026
Both Hyderabad and Sialkot are expected to target a mix of experienced internationals and domestic stars released by existing teams to form competitive cores before the auction begins.
Read more: PCB Greenlights 10 Bidders for Addition of New PSL Teams
Auction Day: 11 February – What to Expect
Date: 11 February 2026
What’s at stake: Teams will bid for players released from existing squads, players not retained, and available international talent.
The auction represents a major strategic battleground, with teams balancing purse limits, category slots, and squad balance, especially for the new franchises making their PSL bow.
What’s Next
With the PSL 2026 retentions round concluded aside from Multan Sultans, and the auction approaching rapidly, PSL 2026 is entering its most exciting phase yet. The combination of released stars, fresh squads for Hyderabad and Sialkot, and the open auction format promises drama, big bids, and some surprise roster changes when the hammer falls on 11 February.
