LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will get two new franchises from 2026, making it an eight-team league. This was formally confirmed in a statement by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday, which called the next season in 2025 – the 10th edition – the “last six-team event”.
Multan Sultans’ entry in 2018 has been the only inclusion to the original five so far, western media reported. The process for deciding which cities the new teams represent has not started yet.
According to ESPNcricinfo all six owners of the PSL have right of first denial, meaning ownership of a franchise only goes up for sale in the event of a current owner refusing to match the franchise’s valuation.
What is more argumentative, however, is when the Pakistan Super League will be played from next season onwards. The Champions Trophy will also be played in the traditional Pakistan Super League window in February-March, the Pakistan Cricket Board wants a more reliable window. Their present preferred solution is the move the Pakistan Super League into April and May, carving out a 6 week window from April 7 to May 20 in upcoming year, and conflicting directly with the IPL. More contentiously, the Pakistan Cricket Board aims to make this the Pakistan Super League’s permanent window rather than an ad hoc solution to a crowded calendar in upcoming year.
ESPNcricinfo reported that there is by no means universal agreement for this choice. Most of the Pakistan Super League franchises firstly opposed the idea because of the implications it would have on player availability and the predictability of playing second fiddle to the IPL, and at least three of the six franchises remain opposed to it.
ESPNcricinfo cited a PCB official as saying that they remain confident the franchises will come around to it and said that the PCB could decide to play the event in any window.
