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The Pakistan Super League has steadily grown into one of the most-watched T20 leagues in the world, combining elite overseas talent with Pakistan’s top domestic stars. For many fans, the biggest excitement this year is the squad-building phase, retentions, direct signings and then the mega auction that will shape the season.
This year, the biggest headline was expansion. PSL 2026 welcomed two new teams, and both franchises were officially added and sold, pushing the league into a bigger, more competitive format.
Two New Teams Added and Multan Replaced
PSL 2026 doesn’t just bring expansion, it also brings change. Multan was replaced by Rawalpindi as the league moved forward with an updated team lineup. The result is a refreshed competition with eight teams, including the new entrants:
- Rawalpindi – 245 Cr
- Sialkot Stallionz – 185 Cr
- Hyderabad Kingsmen – 175 Cr
Budget Breakdown: Retentions, Direct Signings, Total Purse
Before the first auction, each franchise was allowed to lock in its core through:
- Retentions: 4 players per team
- Direct signings: 5.5 Cr budget
- Auction purse: 45 Cr
- Total squad budget: 45 Cr + 5.5 Cr = 50.5 Cr
This structure ensured teams could secure key players early, while still having enough room to compete aggressively in the auction.
First PSL 2026 Auction Sets the Tone
With retentions and direct signings done, the first auction became the main event. Several squads came out looking stacked on paper: strong leadership, wicketkeeping depth, overseas firepower, and specialist bowling options.
Top Most Expensive Players in PSL 2026
- Steve Smith (Australia) – 13.98 Cr
- Saim Ayub – 12.60 Cr
- Naseem Shah – 8.65 Cr
- Faheem Ashraf – 8.50 Cr
- Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand) – 8.05 Cr
- Fakhar Zaman – 7.95 Cr
- David Warner (Australia) – 7.90 Cr
- Haris Rauf – 7.60 Cr
- Shadab Khan – 7.00 Cr
- Mark Chapman (New Zealand) – 7.00 Cr
- Babar Azam – 7.00 Cr
- Abrar Ahmed – 7.00 Cr
- Shaheen Shah Afridi – 7.00 Cr.
Below are the complete PSL 2026 squads as listed.
Islamabad United (PSL 2026 Squad)
Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan (c), Mark Chapman (New Zealand), Devon Conway (wk) (New Zealand), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Imad Wasim, Max Bryant (Australia), Sameer Minhas, Haider Ali, Andries Gous (wk) (USA), Salman Irshad, Mehran Mumtaz, Shamar Joseph (West Indies), Richard Gleeson (England), Mohammad Hasnain, Mir Hamza Sajjad, Sameen Gul, Dipendra Singh Airee (Nepal).
Peshawar Zalmi (PSL 2026 Squad)
Babar Azam (c), Aaron Hardie (Australia), Sufyan Muqeem, Michael Bracewell (New Zealand), Kusal Mendis (Sri Lanka), James Vince (England), Abdul Samad, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Haris (wk), Ali Raza, Aamir Jamal, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Subhan, Khalid Usman, Md Nahid Rana (Bangladesh), Mirza Tahir Baig, Kashif Ali.
Quetta Gladiators (PSL 2026 Squad)
Abrar Ahmed, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Spencer Johnson (Australia), Usman Tariq, Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Tom Curran (England), Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Faisal Akram, Arafat Minhas, Ben McDermott (Australia), Shamyl Hussain, Waseem Akram Jnr, Saud Shakeel, Khan Zeeb, Bismillah Khan (wk), Saqib Khan, Brett Hampton (New Zealand), Samuel Harper (Australia), Bevon Jacobs (New Zealand).
Lahore Qalandars (PSL 2026 Squad)
Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Usama Mir, Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Ubaid Shah, Abdullah Shafique, HaseebUllah Khan (wk), Gudakesh Motie (West Indies), Hussain Talat, Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka), Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Farooq, Pervez Hossain Emon (Bangladesh), Asif Ali, Tayyab Tahir.
Sialkot Stallionz (PSL 2026 Squad)
Steve Smith (Australia), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Ashton Turner (Australia), Salman Mirza, Peter Siddle (Australia), Josh Philippe (Australia), Ahmed Daniyal, Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa), Momin Qamar, Saad Masood, Shan Masood, Jahanzeb Sultan, Lachlan Shaq (Australia), Delano Potgieter (South Africa), Muhammad Awais Zafar.
Karachi Kings (PSL 2026 Squad)
David Warner (Australia), Moeen Ali (England), Salman Ali Agha (c), Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa (Australia), Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan (wk), Abbas Afridi, Mir Hamza, Johnson Charles (West Indies), Muhammad Waseem (United Arab Emirates), Ihsanullah, Shahid Aziz, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, M Hamza Sohail, Saad Baig, Aaqib Ilyas (Oman), Rizwanullah.
Rawalpindi Team (PSL 2026 Squad)
Naseem Shah, Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Amir, Sam Billings (wk) (England), Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh), Asif Afridi, Zaman Khan, Laurie Evans (England), Amad Butt, Abdullah Fazal, Kamran Ghulam, Yasir Khan, Dian Forrester (South Africa), Fawad Ali, M Amir Khan, Shahzaib Khan.
Hyderabad Kingsmen (PSL 2026 Squad)
Saim Ayub, Marnus Labuschagne (Australia), Usman Khan (wk), Riley Meredith (Australia), Maaz Sadaqat, Kusal Perera (wk) (Sri Lanka), Irfan Khan Niazi, Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed, Hassan Khan, Shayan Jahangir (USA), Ottneil Baartman (South Africa), Hammad Azam, Sharjeel Khan, Asif Mehmood, Hunain Shah, Rizwan Mehmood, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Saad Ali, Ahmed Hussain.
Which PSL 2026 Squad Looks the Strongest?
With expansion, a refreshed team lineup, and a bigger auction battle, PSL 2026 is set up to be one of the most competitive seasons yet. Several squads look balanced on paper—especially those with multiple wicketkeeping options and a strong mix of pace, spin, and power-hitters.
Which of these PSL 2026 squads do you think is the strongest, and who’s your pick to win the title?
