Pakistan Super League - PSL

[ghazi52]

PCB confirms window for HBL PSL 12​

Dawn Sport
October 8, 2026

The 12th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League will be held from March 18 to May 2 next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Thursday.

The window was finalised following consultations with the owners and representatives of the eight franchises at a meeting of the PSL governing council in London on Sept 1, according to the PCB.

The board said details of the schedule, venues and ticketing arrangements would be announced later, while the next phase of squad-building will include direct signings, player retentions, a trade window and the player auction.

PSL 12 will follow an expanded 2026 season in which the league featured eight teams for the first time following the addition of Hyderabad Kingsmen and the Rawalpindiz franchises. The 2026 edition also saw the PSL move from the draft system to a player auction for the first time.

The inaugural auction, held in February, saw 103 players sold to the eight franchises. The PCB had subsequently said that players retained or acquired at the auction would be on two-year contracts covering the 11th and 12th editions, with franchises allowed to retain up to seven players for the next season.

 

[ghazi52]

HBL PSL 12 to return with eight teams​

The 12th edition will feature from March 18 to May 2, 2027

Sports Desk
October 08, 2026

PSL trophy symbolises cricket’s enduring values as discipline and respect remain central to success. Photo: PSL/FILE

The Pakistan Super League will return for its 12th edition from March 18 to May 2, 2027, with all eight franchises set to compete for the title, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced Thursday.

The tournament will retain its expanded eight-team format for a second successive season after a landmark 2026 campaign that featured the league’s first player auction and produced a record crowd for the final.

Peshawar Zalmi claimed the 2026 title by defeating debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium on May 3, ending a nine-year wait for the championship.

The PSL Governing Council finalised the 2027 window following consultations with franchise owners and representatives at a meeting in London on September 1.

Attention will now turn to squad building, with direct signings, player retentions, the trade window and the player auction among the key milestones ahead of the tournament.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said the league would aim to build on the success of the previous season.

“HBL PSL 11 showed the world what this league is capable of — thrilling moments that had the whole nation transfixed, record crowds, record broadcasts,” Naqvi said.

“HBL PSL 12 will raise the bar further.”

 

[ghazi52]

PCB opens direct signings window for PSL teams, announces pre-season roadmap​

Dawn Sport
October 23, 2026

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday opened the direct signings window for all eight HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises and unveiled the pre-season roadmap for the 12th edition of the tournament, which will be held from March 18 to May 2 next year.

The player-movement cycle has begun with immediate effect, with the Player Auction scheduled for Jan 23 next year.

HBL PSL 12 will feature 44 matches, comprising 40 league fixtures and four playoffs, over 46 days. For the first time in the league’s history, matches will be played across five to six venues.

Under the direct signings rules, each franchise will be allowed to sign one marquee player who did not feature in either HBL PSL 10 or HBL PSL 11.

The window will remain open until Nov 23. A workshop involving the franchises next week will finalise retention deadlines, the pre-auction trade window, auction regulations and playing conditions.

In a significant development for domestic cricket, the PCB has formally aligned the National T20 Gold and National T20 Silver tournaments with the PSL pre-season calendar.

The two competitions will now serve as the primary talent-identification pathway, providing outstanding domestic performers with a clearer route into the franchise league and potentially earning them selection for the national team.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi described the upcoming season as the league’s most ambitious edition yet.

“HBL PSL is Pakistan cricket’s biggest stage, and Season 12 will be its most ambitious yet. HBL PSL 11 ended before a record crowd, and we are building on that momentum by taking the league to more cities than ever before,” he said in a statement.

“The roadmap we have finalised and are partially announcing today gives every stakeholder, from franchises and players to commercial partners and broadcasters, the certainty to plan at the highest level. With the foundations now in place, we are looking forward to an exciting season.”

HBL PSL Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer also highlighted the league’s expanded geographical reach, saying the move to multiple venues would bring the competition closer to fans across the country.

“For the first time, HBL PSL will go to five to six venues, bringing the league closer to fans across Pakistan and giving more cities the chance to host the best of T20 cricket,” he said.