KARACHI, October 30, 2026: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has set January 13, 2027, as the deadline for franchises to finalise player retentions for the tournament’s 12th edition, introducing new conditions for teams ahead of the upcoming player auction.
The decisions were finalised during an operations workshop chaired by PSL Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer, where all franchises reached a consensus on retention regulations, auction rules and squad sizes.
Under the agreed framework, each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of seven players. However, teams opting to retain the full quota of seven players will be required to release their most expensive player from the previous auction.
PSL 12 Salary Cap Set at Rs450 Million
The workshop also finalised the salary cap for each franchise at Rs450 million, equivalent to approximately $1.6 million.
Franchises that directly sign a player, retain a direct signing from the previous season, or do both will receive an increased salary cap of Rs505 million.
Each franchise will be required to spend at least Rs365 million during the player auction.
Direct Signing Deadline November 23
The direct-signing window will remain open until November 23. Under the new rules, franchises will only be permitted to directly sign foreign players who did not participate in either of the previous two PSL seasons.
The retention deadline has been scheduled with the National T20 Cup calendar in mind, giving domestic players an opportunity to impress franchises through their performances in the tournament.
All Eight Teams Agree on Auction Regulations
Salman Naseer said the workshop was significant not only because of the decisions reached but also because of the transparent and collaborative process through which they were agreed.
He said every aspect of the auction regulations was discussed in detail, with all eight teams unanimously approving the final framework.
The PSL CEO added that scheduling the retention deadline during the National T20 Cup would allow franchises to assess domestic players who perform well in the competition before finalising their squads.
The new regulations establish the framework for squad planning, player retention and auction spending as franchises prepare for PSL 12.