The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday confirmed the category renewals of 89 local players ahead of the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, promoting five players, including T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, to the Platinum category.
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The five players elevated to Platinum are Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, and Abrar Ahmed. “Going forward, each franchise may retain a maximum of four players, limited to one player per category,” the PCB said in a press release.
The top tier of the #NewEra 🎇
Platinum Category renewals ahead of the #HBLPSL Player Auction 2026.
Read more: https://t.co/CZZdvNi1lJ pic.twitter.com/n8EPWnh0dG
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) January 28, 2026
Following the completion of retentions, teams will participate in the first-ever PSL player auction on February 11 to complete their rosters. Registration for foreign players has been extended to February 3.
Among the newly designated Platinum players, Sahibzada Farhan moved up from the Gold category, while the others jumped from Diamond. Eleven players remain in the Diamond category, including Quetta Gladiators’ three players and Multan Sultans’ three. Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sufyan Moqim, and Mohammad Wasim Jr have also moved up from Gold to Diamond.
The Gold category comprises 32 players, distributed across franchises, while the Silver and Emerging categories include players who have been promoted or retained based on their previous performances. Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah, Mirza Mamoon Imtiaz, Mohammad Naeem, and Mohammad Azab have moved from Emerging to Silver, while Hasan Nawaz advanced to Gold.
Franchise-wise distributions highlight strategic placements: Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators have balanced their squads across categories to ensure competitive depth.
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The PCB’s announcement underscores its commitment to structured player development and competitive balance ahead of the next PSL season, which promises to bring exciting matchups and emerging talent to the forefront of Pakistan cricket.