Karachi Kings announce massive retention fees ahead of PSL 11

KARACHI: Fifth-edition champions Karachi Kings on Wednesday revealed the retention fees of their three retained players ahead of the historic 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), scheduled from March 26 to May 3.

The franchise shared the details via their official Instagram handle, confirming the fees for pacer Hasan Ali, all-rounders Khushdil Shah and Abbas Afridi, and young wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig.

Hasan Ali has been retained in the Platinum category for PKR 47.6 million, while Abbas Afridi, in the Diamond category, will receive PKR 30.8 million.

Khushdil Shah, selected from the Gold category, secured PKR 33.6 million, and Saad Baig, from the Emerging category, will earn PKR 6 million.

For the upcoming auction, franchises have been allotted a total budget of PKR 450 million. Kings have so far spent PKR 118 million on their retained players.

Karachi Kings confirmed their list of retained players ahead of the PSL 11 players’ auction, set for February 11. 

For the first time in league history, the player selection process has shifted from the traditional draft system to an auction-based model. 

Previously, franchises could retain up to eight players—a rule in place for the first 10 seasons. 

Under the revised PSL 11 regulations, teams may retain only four players across different categories, making the selection process more challenging.

A total of 16 players were placed across various categories. The Platinum category included captain David Warner and Hasan Ali, while Abbas Afridi and Shan Masood were listed in the Diamond category. 

The Gold category featured Khushdil Shah, Aamer Jamal, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mir Hamza, Zahid Mahmood, Omair bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani and Arafat Minhas. Mirza Mamoon Imtiaz was named in the Silver category, while Razaullah, Fawad Ali and Saad Baig were placed in the Emerging category.

PSL 11 will also see a major expansion of the league from six to eight teams, with Hyderabad and Sialkot Stallionz joining the tournament for the first time.

The Hyderabad franchise was acquired by Fawad Sarwar, who secured the team for Rs 1.75 billion (approximately $6.25 million), while Hamza Majeed won the Sialkot Stallionz franchise with a bid of Rs 1.85 billion. 

Both owners will lead their teams into the league’s upcoming season.

The 11th edition of the PSL will commence on March 26 and conclude on May 3.