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PSL set to become an eight-team tournament from 2026: Reports
Follow UsThis will mean the edition next year in 2025 will be the last ever six-team PSL
The Pakistan Super League (PSL), which has been a six-team tournament since its third edition back in 2018, is reportedly all set to become an eight team tournament from the 2026 edition, ESPNcricinfo reports.
This will mean the edition next year in 2025 will be the last ever six-team PSL, with two new franchises set to be added. The PSL was a five-team tournament for the first two seasons before Multan Sultans got added in the third edition in 2018.
The expansion to eight teams comes as exciting news for fans of the competition and the competition itself, but the road ahead could be a bumpy one. According to the ESPNcricinfo report, the ten-year lease ownership agreements the PSL reached with franchise owners is expiring in 2025.
“Sultans' lease is also up for renewal next year, despite them joining the PSL two years later than the rest. All six owners have right of first refusal, meaning ownership of a franchise only goes up for sale in the event of a current owner declining to match the franchise's valuation,” the report states.
There is also uncertainty over PSL’s window. As it stands, the competition is being played in February and March, but another ESPNcricinfo report last week suggested that the PSL is planning to run at the same time as the IPL.
Should it move to April-May, the PSL will be competing with a giant in IPL, but the PCB are said to be looking to ‘co-exist’ with the IPL rather than competing.
Moving the competition to an April-May window will bring plenty of challenges, not least player availability. The PSL will likely not be able to sign top overseas talents due to the IPL, but moving to April-May will mean complications with regards to English domestic players availability due to the County Championship.
The same report also suggested that the PCB are pondering moving the playoff games in the PSL outside Pakistan, to a neutral country like England.
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