Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has once again extended the deadline for bidding for two new franchises of Pakistan Super League. An official statement is still awaited, but this is the second time the board has delayed the process, suggesting that interest from potential buyers is slower than expected.
The auction for the two new teams is scheduled to take place on January 6. Earlier, the PCB had extended the deadline for bid submission from December 15 to December 22. The PCB said the extension was granted because interest was coming from new regions including Europe, the United States and the Middle East.
PCB extends the deadline for bidding on two new PSL franchises till December 24
The Pakistan Cricket Board has once again extended the deadline for submitting preliminary bids for two new PSL franchises. The new cut-off date is now December 24, although the board has not made an official announcement yet.
“The last date for submission of preliminary bids has now been extended by two days,” a source told news agency PTI.
This is the second time the deadline has been extended. Earlier, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi had said during the PSL roadshow in New York that the original December 15 deadline had been extended to December 22.
Although the PCB has not announced the latest delay, the board is not completely satisfied with the technical bids received so far. The PCB is looking for stronger and more suitable proposals.
Only bidders who are successful in the preliminary technical evaluation will be allowed to participate in the final auction. The two new franchises are currently scheduled to go on sale in early January.
PCB exploring foreign investment as future of Multan Sultans unclear
The Pakistan Cricket Board held road shows in cities such as London and New York to encourage foreign buyers to bid for PSL franchises instead of relying solely on local investors.
Also, there is still uncertainty regarding the future of Multan Sultans. The franchise became vacant after its former owner Ali Tareen stepped down following disagreements with the board.
Notably, the PCB may take over the control of Multan Sultans for the upcoming season. The plan could be to run the team for one year and then offer the franchise through a new bidding process before the league’s 12th season, with the rights likely to be sold for a long-term cycle.
PSL again set to overlap with IPL as longest season awaits
The Pakistan Super League will clash with the IPL once again next year, which will be the second consecutive season where both tournaments will be running at the same time. Notably, the IPL is scheduled from late March to late May, and the PSL will again take place in the April-May window.
The upcoming PSL season will be the longest in the history of the league. It is expected to last 39 days, which is about a week longer than previous editions. Once the two new teams are confirmed, the final schedule will be released and fans can expect more matches than ever before.
This will be the second consecutive year that the PSL will be held in April and May. There will be a slight gap between the end of the T20 World Cup and the start of the league, giving players limited time for recovery.
Also read: India’s playing eleven against Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2026
