The Pakistan Cricket Board is considering auctioning the Pakistan Super League franchise Multan Sultans earlier than originally planned, following encouraging valuations achieved in the recent sale of two new teams, according to Geo Super.
The PCB had announced last month that it would take over the operations of Multan Sultans after the franchise’s ownership agreement ended on December 31, 2025.
Under the initial plan, the board was expected to run the team for one season before offering it for sale through an auction in 2027.
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Reports say that operating the franchise for a year would save the PCB close to $4 million, as it would not have to pay $3 million from the central revenue pool or an additional $1 million in sponsorship support.
However, an audit report pointed out that the board would also miss out on the franchise fee of $8.5 million for that season.
In November, former owner Ali Tareen announced on social media that he was stepping away from Multan Sultans.
Reports revealed that relations between Tareen and the PCB had remained tense over the past year, eventually leading to a complete breakdown.
Multan Sultans were introduced as the sixth team of the PSL and were awarded to the Schon Group for $5.2 million, making them the most expensive franchise at the time.
READ: FKS Group buys Hyderabad as seventh PSL team for Rs 175 crore
The price was double that of Karachi Kings, which were bought for $2.6 million.
The latest development comes after the PCB secured strong bids for two new PSL franchises.
Hyderabad and Sialkot were added to the league for PSL 11, increasing the total number of teams to eight.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed on December 28 that the board will manage Multan Sultans for the upcoming PSL season, which is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3, 2026, before moving ahead with the auction process.
“Multan Sultans will be operated by the PCB this year. Once the PSL concludes, we will carry out the auction and put the franchise up for sale. For this season, the board will run the Sultans,” Naqvi said.
READ: Ali Tareen withdraws from PSL franchise auction
He also shared details about interim arrangements for the team.
“We will appoint an acting head within the next eight to ten days to oversee the team. A professional cricketer will also be brought in to manage Multan Sultans for this season,” he said.
The PSL was launched in 2016 with five teams and expanded to six in 2018.
With the addition of Hyderabad and Sialkot, the league will feature eight teams in its 11th edition.
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The franchise auction held at the Jinnah Convention Centre saw FKS Group acquire Hyderabad for Rs. 1.75 billion, while OZ Developers secured Sialkot for Rs. 1.85 billion, highlighting the growing commercial value of the PSL.
