The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to auction the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans, buoyed by strong valuations achieved in the recent sale of two new teams, sources told Geo Super on Sunday.
The PCB last month announced it would take over the Multan Sultans following the expiry of the franchise’s ownership agreement on December 31, 2025, after owner Ali Tareen decided to step away. The board had initially planned to operate the franchise for one season before auctioning it in 2027.
If implemented, the interim arrangement was expected to save the PCB nearly $4 million, as the board would not have to contribute $3 million from the central revenue pool or an additional $1 million in sponsorship funding. However, an audit report highlighted that the PCB would also forgo the $8.5 million annual franchise fee during the takeover year.
In November, Tareen confirmed his departure from Multan Sultans through social media. Sources said relations between the PCB and the franchise owner had remained strained over the past year, eventually reaching a point of no return.
Multan Sultans were originally awarded as the sixth PSL team to the Schon Group under a $5.2 million deal, making it the most expensive franchise at the time-nearly double the price paid for Karachi Kings, which were sold for $2.6 million. The decision to move towards an auction comes after the PCB secured robust valuations in the recent sale of two new franchises, Hyderabad and Sialkot, expanding the PSL to eight teams for its upcoming 11th edition.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on December 28 that the board would operate Multan Sultans for PSL 11, scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3, 2026, before initiating the auction process. “Multan Sultans will be operated by the PCB this year. After the PSL concludes, the franchise will be auctioned,” Naqvi told reporters, adding that an interim management structure would be appointed shortly.
The PSL, launched in 2016 with five teams and expanded to six in 2018, continues to grow. At a historic auction held at the Jinnah Convention Centre, FKS Group and OZ Developers secured the Hyderabad and Sialkot franchises for Rs1.75 billion and Rs1.85 billion, respectively, underlining the league’s rising commercial value.