ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed that 10 bidders have been shortlisted for the second round of the auction to sell franchise rights for two new teams in the Pakistan Super League.
In a statement released on Saturday, the board said its bid committee had completed the technical evaluation of proposals submitted by interested parties. According to the PCB, 10 bidders successfully met the required technical criteria and have now qualified for the next stage of the process.
A total of 12 proposals were received from investors across different regions and were reviewed over the past three days. Earlier, the board had disclosed that potential investors from the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan had shown interest in acquiring the new franchises.
The technically qualified bidders will now take part in the auction scheduled for January 8, 2026, at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad, where the rights for the two new PSL teams will be offered.
The PCB said the successful bidders will be able to choose franchise names from a list of cities that includes Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad and Sialkot.
PSL chief executive Salman Naseer congratulated the shortlisted bidders and welcomed the strong response from both local and international investors. He said the league was preparing for the much-anticipated auction as it moves toward another major milestone in its growth.
Launched in 2016 with five teams, the PSL expanded to six franchises in 2018. The addition of two more teams from the upcoming 11th edition, scheduled for next year, will mark the league’s first major expansion in seven years and increase the total number of franchises to eight.
