PSL 11 Auction 2026 New Rules, Retention Limits, and Salary Cap

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The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has officially entered a new era for its 11th edition in 2026 by transitioning from its long-standing draft system to a comprehensive Player Auction Model or PSL 11 Auction. This major shift, finalized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), aims to increase the league’s global competitiveness, offer franchises greater tactical flexibility, and provide higher financial incentives for elite players.

The highly anticipated PSL 11 player auction is set to take place on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

Retention Rules and Squad Building

Under the new auction framework, teams must follow strict guidelines regarding player retentions. Squad composition to ensure a balanced playing field among the now eight franchises.

Retention Limits: The PCB permits the original six franchises to retain a maximum of four players from their previous squads.
Category Restriction: Retentions must follow a “one player per category” rule across Platinum, Diamond, Gold, and Silver tiers.
Expansion Teams: The PCB grants the two new franchises, Hyderabad and Sialkot, special permission to select and retain four players each from the available pool prior to the general auction.
Direct International Signings: Each team can make one direct signing of an overseas player, provided that player did not compete in the PSL 10 (2025) season.
Simplified Rules: The PCB has abolished previous provisions for Brand Ambassadors, Mentors, and Right to Match (RTM) cards to streamline the auction process.

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Financial Structure and Salary Purse

To support the move to an auction, the PCB has significantly increased the financial ceiling for each franchise. With all bidding now occurring in Pakistani Rupees (PKR).

Salary Cap: The total player purse for each franchise has been raised to $1.6 million (USD).
Base Prices: Players will enter the auction with fixed base valuations based on their assigned categories.

Category	Base Price (PKR)	Minimum Increment (PKR)
Platinum	4.2 Crore	1,500,000
Diamond	2.2 Crore	1,000,000
Gold	1.1 Crore	500,000
Silver	60 Lakh	250,000

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Tournament Format and Squad Quotas

The PCB has scheduled the PSL 11 tournament to run from March 26 to April 25, 2026, with a larger schedule to accommodate the two new teams.

Squad Size: Franchises must maintain a squad of at least 16 players, with a maximum cap of 20 players.
Overseas Players: Each team is required to have between 5 to 7 international players.
Emerging Talent: Every squad must include at least two uncapped Under-23 players, and at least one must be part of the starting XI for every match.
Venues: The PCB will host matches in Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Multan, with Faisalabad joining as a new official host venue.

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