Hyderabad, Sialkot join PSL as league expands to eight teams

News Desk

Islamabad: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) officially expanded to eight teams on Thursday with the confirmation of Hyderabad and Sialkot as the league’s seventh and eighth franchises, following the completion of the expansion auction ahead of the upcoming season.

In the auction, OZ Developers, owned by Hamza Majeed, secured ownership of the Sialkot-based franchise with a winning bid of Rs1.85 billion in the second round. The base price for the eighth team had been set at Rs1.70 billion.

Earlier, in the first round of the auction, the FKS Group—owned by Fawad Sarwar—successfully acquired one of the two new franchises with a bid of Rs1.75 billion after intense competition among 10 qualified bidders.

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This expansion marks the second major growth phase in the PSL’s history. The league previously expanded from five to six teams in its third season with the addition of Multan Sultans.

With the introduction of Hyderabad and Sialkot ahead of the league’s 11th edition, the total number of franchises has increased from six to eight, reinforcing the PSL’s status as Pakistan’s flagship cricket league.

The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League is scheduled to be held from March 26 to May 3, promising another competitive season of cricket for fans in Pakistan and abroad.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had allowed successful bidders to select home cities from a pre-approved list that included Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, and Gilgit.

Following the landmark 10th edition of the PSL, the PCB conducted a valuation of the existing six franchises and offered contract renewals to their owners. Five franchises accepted the extension, while Multan Sultans did not, resulting in the team being taken under PCB control.