PSL 12 auction framework finalised

The timing of the retention deadline is designed to allow teams to assess domestic performers during the National T20 competition, with the Silver tournament completed and the Gold tournament underway. Each franchise will be permitted to retain a maximum of seven players, including its direct signing.

However, teams exercising the full retention allowance must release one player from the highest price category of the previous auction into the general player pool. The league's second player auction, scheduled for January 23, will operate under rules reviewed and unanimously approved by all eight franchises.

Each team will have a salary cap of Rs 450m for the auction. The ceiling will increase to Rs505m for franchises that make a direct signing for PSL 12, retain their previous season's direct signing, or do both.

Franchises will also be required to spend a minimum of Rs365 million. The window for direct signings will remain open until November 23, 2026. Each franchise will be allowed to sign one marquee player who did not feature in either the tenth or 11th editions of the competition.

Salman Naseer said the unanimous agreement reflected constructive engagement between the league and its franchise partners. "What made today remarkable was not just what was agreed, it was how it was agreed," Naseer said. "Every franchise engaged with complete openness, the auction rules were worked through line by line, and we finished with unanimous buy-in across all eight sides.

"He added that aligning the retention deadline with the National T20 competition would give domestic players an opportunity to influence franchise decisions through their performances. The league said further major announcements concerning PSL 12 would be made in the coming weeks.