Hyderabad becomes seventh PSL team in historic auction

ISLAMABAD: One of two new Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises has been sold to Kingsmen (FKS Group) as the owner opts to name the team Hyderabad in a historic auction at the Jinnah Convention Centre on Thursday.

All nine qualified bidders competed fiercely, placing massive bids for the new team. 

The company owned by Mr. Fawad Sarwar emerged as the winner by offering Rs1.75 billion ($6,247,500), successfully leading the auction and taking the helm of the new franchise.

The Kingsmen Cricket Club refers to a growing cricket franchise with a strong presence in the United States—most notably the Chicago Kingsmen in Minor League Cricket—and an expanding base in Pakistan, aiming to build world-class facilities and nurture talent.

Chicago Kingsmen, led by Pakistan all-rounder Hammad Azam, took part in the Top End T20 Series in Darwin, Australia, and set the tournament ablaze in their debut campaign by topping the table with five wins and one defeat in six matches, finishing with 10 points and a net run rate of 1.428.

However, the team suffered a setback in the semi-final, losing to the Adelaide Strikers Academy by six wickets in a low-scoring encounter.

This marks the second major expansion in the league’s history.

Previously, Multan Sultans became the first team to be added during the third season of the PSL, increasing the number of teams from five to six. 

With this year’s historic 11th edition, two additional teams have been introduced, taking the total from six to eight franchises.

It is pertinent to mention that the 11th edition of the PSL is all set to take place from March 26 to May 3, promising another thrilling season of cricket for fans across Pakistan and beyond.

For the unversed, successful bidders were allowed to select a home city from a PCB-approved list that included Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit.