LAHORE: A glittering and impressive inaugural Pakistan Super League Player Auction was held in Lahore on Wednesday, during which the eight franchises finalized their line-ups for the 11th edition, which begins on 26 March.

Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah emerged as the most expensive player in the auction, bought by Team Rawalpindi for PKR 8.65 crore (approximately $310,000). Faheem Ashraf, who saved Pakistan’s blushes against the Netherlands in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 opener last week, was the second most expensive when he was bought by Islamabad United at PKR 8.5 crore ($304,000).

Naseem and Faheem were followed by New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, who was bought by Team Rawalpindi for PKR 8.05 crore (approx. $288,000); Fakhar Zaman, who was sold to Lahore Qalandars for PKR 7.95 crore ($285,000); and Australia’s David Warner, who was scooped up by Karachi Kings for PKR 7.90 crore ($282,000).

Overall, Steve Smith will be the most expensive player in the PSL after being directly signed by the Sialkot Stallionz for PKR 14 crore ($500,000). In the retentions category, Pakistan all-rounder Saim Ayub was the most expensive player, with the Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen signing him for PKR 12 crore ($430,000).

Several high-profile international and local cricketers went unsold at the historic auction.

Some of the leading international cricketers to remain unsold were Usman Khawaja, Keshav Maharaj, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jimmy Neesham, Rassie van der Dussen, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Alzarri Joseph, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Dinesh Chandimal, Charith Asalanka, Evin Lewis, Brandon King, Moises Henriques and Imran Tahir.

Shahnawaz Dahani, Hussain Talat, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Zeeshan, Zahid Mehmood, Musa Khan, Rohail Nazir, Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan and Saad Ali are some of the leading domestic performers who did not go under the hammer.

Complete Squads (PSL 11 Auction – All Values in PKR):

HYDERABAD HOUSTON KINGS

Direct Signing: Marnus Labuschagne (5.88 crore)

Retained: Saim Ayub (12.6 crore), Akif Javed (1.96 crore), Maaz Sadaqat, Usman Khan (4.62 crore)

Bought: Mohammad Ali (2.15 crore), Kusal Perera (3.1 crore), Muhammad Irfan Khan (2.9 crore), Hassan Khan (1.85 crore), Shayan Jahangir (60 lacs), Ottniel Baartman (1.1 crore), Hammad Azam (60 lacs), Riley Meredith (4.2 crore), Sharjeel Khan (60 lacs), Asif Mehmood (60 lacs), Hunain Shah (60 lacs), Rizwan Mehmood (60 lacs), Saad Ali (60 lacs), Tayyab Arif (60 lacs)

Islamabad United

Direct Signing: Devon Conway (6.3 crore)

Retained: Shadab Khan (7 crore), Salman Irshad (1.2 crore), Andries Gous (1.4 crore)

Bought: Faheem Ashraf (8.5 crore), Mehran Mumtaz (1.2 crore), Max Bryant (1.9 crore), Mark Chapman (7 crore), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (4.1 crore), Mir Hamza Sajjad (70 lacs), Sameen Gul (60 lacs), Sameer Minhas (1.9 crore), Shamar Joseph (1.1 crore), Imad Wasim (2.2 crore), Richard Gleeson (1.2 crore), Haider Ali (1.5 crore), Mohammad Hasnain (77.5 lacs), Dipendra Singh Airee (60 lacs)

KARACHI KINGS

Direct Signing: Moeen Ali (6.44 crore)

Retained: Hasan Ali (4.76 crore), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (3.08 crore), Khushdil Shah (3.36 crore), Saad Baig (60 lacs)

Bought: David Warner (7.9 crore), Azam Khan (3.25 crore), Salman Ali Agha (5.85 crore), Shahid Aziz (92.5 lacs), Mir Hamza (2.4 crore), Adam Zampa (4.5 crore), Hamza Sohail (60 lacs), Aqib Ilyas (60 lacs), Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (60 lacs), Johnson Charles (2 crore), Muhammad Waseem (1.1 crore), Ihsanullah (1.05 crore), Rizwanullah (60 lacs)

LAHORE QALANDARS

Direct Signing: Mustafizur Rahman (6.44 crore)

Retained: Shaheen Shah Afridi (7 crore), Abdullah Shafique (2.2 crore), Sikandar Raza (2.8 crore), Mohammad Naeem (70 lacs)

Bought: Haris Rauf (7.6 crore), Usama Mir (3.5 crore), Fakhar Zaman (7.95 crore), Ubaid Shah (2.7 crore), Mohammad Farooq (60 lacs), Dasun Shanaka (75 lacs), Parvez Hussain Emon (60 lacs), Asif Ali (60 lacs), Hussain Talat (77.5 lacs), Tayyab Tahir (60 lacs), Gudakesh Motie (1.1 crore)

RAWALPINDI

Direct Signing: None

Retained: Mohammad Rizwan (5.6 crore), Sam Billings (3.08 crore), Zaman Khan (1.12 crore), Yasir Khan (60 lacs)

Bought: Naseem Shah (8.65 crore), Rishad Hossain (3 crore), Daryl Mitchell (8.05 crore), Mohammad Amir (5.4 crore), Abdullah Fazal (67.5 lacs), Amad Butt (80 lacs), Dian Forrestor (60 lacs), Laurie Evans (1.1 crore), Asif Afridi (2.4 crore), Kamran Ghulam (65 lacs), Fawad Ali (60 lacs), Mohammad Amir Khan (60 lacs), Shahzaib Khan (60 lacs)

PESHAWAR ZALMI

Direct Signing: Aaron Hardie (6.3 crore)

Retained: Babar Azam (7 crore), Sufyan Moqim (4.48 crore), Abdul Samad (2.8 crore), Ali Raza (1.96 crore)

Bought: Aamir Jamal (1.9 crore), Khuram Shahzad (2.7 crore), Mohammad Haris (2.2 crore), Khalid Usman (60 lacs), Abdul Subhan (62.5 lacs), James Vince (3 crore), Michael Bracewell (4.2 crore), Kusal Mendis (4.2 crore), Iftikhar Ahmed (1.8 crore), Nahid Rana (60 lacs), Mirza Tahir Baig (60 lacs), Kashif Ali (60 lacs)

QUETTA GLADIATORS

Direct Signing: Spencer Johnson (5.6 crore)

Retained: Abrar Ahmed (7 crore), Usman Tariq (5.6 crore), Hasan Nawaz (3.92 crore), Shamyl Hussain (84 lacs)

Bought: Rilee Rossouw (5.55 crore), Faisal Akram (1.25 crore), Arafat Minhas (1.1 crore), Jahandad Khan (2.5 crore), Khawaja Nafay (6.5 crore), Wasim Akram Jnr (77.5 lacs), Khan Zaib (60 lacs), Bismillah Khan (60 lacs), Saqib Khan (60 lacs), Brett Hampton (60 lacs), Sam Harper (60 lacs), Bevon Jacobs (60 lacs), Saud Shakeel (65 lacs), Ben McDermott (1.1 crores), Tom Curran (4.2 crores)

SIALKOT STALLIONZ

Direct Signing – Steve Smith (14 crore)

Retained – Mohammad Nawaz (6.16 crore), Mohammad Salman Mirza (3.92 crore), Ahmed Daniyal (2.24 crore), Saad Masood (84 lac)

Bought – Jahanzaib Sultan (60 lac), Sahibzada Farhan (5.70 crores), Ashton Turner (4.2 crore), Peter Siddle (2.5 crore), Tabraiz Shamsi (2.2 crores), Lachlan Shaw (60 lacs), Delano Potgieter (60 lacs), Josh Phillippe (2.3 crores), Shan Masood (65 lacs), Momin Qamar (1.075 crore), Muhammad Awais Zafar (60 lacs)