The Pakistan Super League (PSL 2026) has entered a historic phase as teams have revealed their retained players before the first-ever auction of the league, which is scheduled to take place on February 11.
Star players such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi top the list of retained players in the Platinum category, while Multan Sultans have left everyone stunned by releasing all their players, including captain Mohammad Rizwan.
Platinum Category Retentions in PSL 2026
Five franchises confirmed their top-tier retentions in the Platinum category for PSL 2026:
Babar Azam – Peshawar Zalmi
Shaheen Shah Afridi – Lahore Qalandars
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Shadab Khan – Islamabad United
Abrar Ahmed – Quetta Gladiators
Hasan Ali – Karachi Kings
These players will constitute the backbone of the leadership and talent in their respective teams under the new two-year contract system.
Multan Sultans Release Entire Squad
In the biggest surprise of the PSL 2026 retention list, Multan Sultans have decided not to retain any player, including their captain Mohammad Rizwan. This makes them the only team that is starting the auction with a clean slate.
Team-Wise Retained Players for PSL 2026
Lahore Qalandars
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum)
Abdullah Shafique (Diamond)
Sikandar Raza (Gold)
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Mohammad Naeem (Silver)
Quetta Gladiators
Abrar Ahmed (Platinum)
Usman Tariq (Diamond)
Hasan Nawaz (Gold)
Shamyl Hussain (Emerging)
Islamabad United
Shadab Khan (Platinum)
Salman Irshad (Gold)
Andries Gous (Silver – USA)
United did not retain players in the Diamond or Emerging categories.
Peshawar Zalmi
Babar Azam (Platinum)
Sufiyan Muqeem (Diamond)
Abdul Samad (Gold)
Ali Raza (Emerging)
Karachi Kings
Hasan Ali (Platinum)
Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Diamond)
Khushdil Shah (Gold)
Saad Baig (Emerging)
Multan Sultans
No players retained
New PSL 2026 Teams to Announce Retentions
The two newly added franchises:
- Sialkot Stallionz
- Hyderabad
The retained players will be announced by February 7. Stallionz have already made news by directly signing Steven Smith, who is the first team to do so.
PSL 2026 Auction Rules and Salary Cap
- Franchises are allowed to sign 16-20 players
- 5-7 overseas players are allowed per team
- One local U-23 player who has not yet made an appearance in PSL must be included
- Auction budget: PKR 450 million (USD 1.6 million)
- Extended budget: PKR 505 million (USD 1.8 million) for direct signings
- All players will receive two-year contracts
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