KEY POINTS
- PCB confirmed a March 26, 2026 start date for PSL 11
- Working group has been formed to finalise critical details
LAHORE, Pakistan: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that the eleventh season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will begin on March 26, 2026, marking the start of a “New Era” for the nation’s premier T20 tournament with the inclusion of two new franchises from Sialkot and Hyderabad.
This was decided during a meeting of the Pakistan Super League’s Governing Council at the National Cricket Academy.
The announcement marks the first major milestone in what board officials have termed the “New Era” for the nation’s premier T20 franchise tournament.
Council convenes with expanded membership
The meeting was chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and attended by representatives from all eight PSL franchises, alongside board and league officials.
The session began with formal congratulations extended to the new team owners from Sialkot and Hyderabad, officially welcoming them into the HBL PSL family.
Chairman Naqvi and the PSL management were also commended for the successful execution of the recent New Teams Auction, hailed as a milestone reflecting the league’s growth.
Agenda items under discussion
The Governing Council engaged in detailed deliberations on several pivotal matters that will define PSL 11.
Central to the discussions were the formulation of the tournament schedule, the final number of player retentions for each franchise, and the critical mechanism for player acquisition.
A significant point of debate was whether to adopt a traditional auction model or to implement a novel hybrid system, tentatively termed a ‘drauction’, a combination of an auction and a draft.
The option of permitting direct signings for teams was also reviewed.
Working group formed for final decisions
With several key operational details requiring further analysis, the meeting was adjourned after the constitution of a dedicated working group.
This group is scheduled to meet in a few days to deliberate deeply on the agenda items.
The Governing Council will reconvene immediately afterward, as necessary, to finalise all decisions.
The announcement of the March 26 start date provides a clear timeline for fans, players, and stakeholders, even as the final shape of the player recruitment process and full schedule remains to be confirmed in the coming days.
