All eight Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises have agreed on the key operational rules for the 12th edition of the tournament. During a workshop at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the franchises finalised January 13, 2027, as the player retention deadline and January 23 as the date for the player auction.
Babar Azam captained the Peshawar Zalmi to its second PSL championship during the 2026 season. Zalmi beat debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final after losing only one match all season. The expanded tournament featured eight teams and 44 matches across Lahore and Karachi.
PSL 2027: Franchises Finalize Retention Rules and Salary Cap
The workshop, led by league CEO Salman Naseer, covered Direct Signings, Player Retentions, Trade Windows, Squad Sizes and Salary Caps. All eight franchises agreed on the framework, with the retention deadline falling ten days before the auction.
The franchises can retain a maximum of seven players, including a Direct Signing. However, a team that retains seven players must release one player from the highest price tier of the previous auction into the general player pool.
The salary cap for each franchise has been set at PKR 45 crore (approximately USD 1.6 million). It will increase to PKR 50.5 crore if a team makes a direct signing for the 12th edition, retains its direct signing from the previous season, or does both.
The minimum spending requirement stands at PKR 36.5 crore (approximately USD 1.3 million). Notably, the retention deadline also gives franchises an opportunity to assess players during the National T20 Silver tournament and the ongoing National T20 Gold competition before making their decisions.
PSL 2027 Auction: Direct Signing Window and Player Eligibility
The Direct Signing window will remain open until November 23, 2026. Each franchise can sign one marquee player who did not feature in either of the previous two editions.
In another key change, every franchise must release its highest-paid player into the auction pool. The rule will make established players available to all teams and add more options to the player auction.
The upcoming PSL auction will be only the second in league history. Notably, the league previously used a draft system to build squads, making the 2027 auction an important part of its new recruitment framework.
PSL 2026: Babar Azam Led Peshawar Zalmi to Second Title
Peshawar Zalmi won their second PSL title after defeating Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets in the final on May 3, 2026, at Gaddafi Stadium. It was Babar Azam’s first championship as captain, with Zalmi losing just one match throughout the season.
Hyderabad, playing their first season after the tournament expanded to eight teams, were bowled out for 129 in 18 overs after Zalmi elected to bowl. Saim Ayub top-scored with 54, while Aaron Hardie claimed four wickets for 27 runs.
Zalmi lost four wickets during the powerplay in their chase of 130. However, Hardie remained unbeaten on 56, while Abdul Samad contributed 48 runs to take the team to the target in 15.2 overs. Hardie was named Player of the Match and became the first player to score a half-century and take four wickets in a league final.
Hyderabad had reached the final after eliminating Multan Sultans in Eliminator 1 and defeating Islamabad United by two runs in Eliminator 2.
Babar finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 588 runs at an average of 73.50. Kusal Mendis followed him with 550 runs, while Sufyan Muqeem and Saim Ayub shared the leading wicket-taker award with 22 wickets each.
Also read: Babar Azam to lead Pakistan as Salman Ali Agha returns for Sri Lanka series
