New Zealand’s all-rounder Daryl Mitchell was the first player picked in the draft
All six franchises of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 have successfully assembled their squads during the glittering player draft ceremony held at Huzoori Bagh, Lahore Fort, on Monday. The tournament is set to take place from April 8 to May 19, 2025, featuring 116 players from 10 countries.
New Zealand’s all-rounder Daryl Mitchell was the first player picked in the draft as two-time champions Lahore Qalandars roped him in to strengthen their batting order. Mitchell, who has played 70 T20Is, will make his PSL debut this season.
Former champions Karachi Kings used their second pick in the Platinum round to secure left-handed batter David Warner. With an impressive record of 12,735 runs in 393 T20 matches, Warner will bring his experience to the Kings as one of the notable debutants.
Peshawar Zalmi exercised their Right to Match option to retain Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who was initially picked by Quetta Gladiators. Kohler-Cadmore has been a consistent performer for Zalmi in the past four PSL seasons. Gladiators, meanwhile, added New Zealand’s Mark Chapman, a dual international with 81 T20I appearances, to their squad.
Multan Sultans picked New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell, while Islamabad United added Australia’s Matthew Short to their roster. Bracewell, known for his all-round skills, has played 149 T20s, scoring 2,744 runs and taking 66 wickets. Short, a powerful batter, will add depth to United’s lineup as they chase their fourth PSL title.
Quetta Gladiators made notable picks in the second Platinum round, securing all-rounder Faheem Ashraf and New Zealand’s aggressive opener Finn Allen. Karachi Kings bolstered their bowling attack by picking Adam Milne and using their Wild Card option to draft Mohammad Abbas Afridi, the leading wicket-taker of PSL 2023.
The Diamond round saw international stars like Jason Holder (Islamabad United), Kusal Perera (Lahore Qalandars), and Corbin Bosch (Peshawar Zalmi) join their respective teams. In the Gold category, Zalmi added Bangladesh’s Nahid Rana, while Islamabad secured Australian pacer Ben Dwarshuis.
Emerging players like Hasan Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators), Maaz Sadaqat (Peshawar Zalmi), and Saad Masood (Islamabad United) were among the highlights. In the supplementary round, Karachi Kings picked Kane Williamson, who joins a strong overseas lineup alongside David Warner and Mohammad Nabi.
Each team has finalized its roster with a mix of experienced internationals and emerging talent. Islamabad United, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings, and Lahore Qalandars are all geared up for a competitive season.
Final Squads:
Islamabad United: Matthew Short, Naseem Shah and Shadab Khan (all Platinum), Imad Wasim (mentor) and Azam Khan, Jason Holder (both Diamond), Ben Dwarhuis, Salman Irshad, Salman Ali Agha (Brand Ambassador) and Haider Ali (all Gold), Andries Gous, Colin Munro, Muhammad Nawaz and Rumman Raees (all Silver), Hunain Shah, Saad Masood (both Emerging)
Supplementary: Riley Meredith and Rassie van der Dussen
Multan Sultans: Michael Bracewell, Mohammad Rizwan and Usama Mir (all Platinum), David Willey (mentor), Iftikhar Ahmed (Brand Ambassador) and Usman Khan (all Diamond), Chris Jordan, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Hasnain (all Gold), Akif Javed, Gudakesh Motie, Josh Little, Faisal Akram and Tayyab Tahir (all Silver), Ubaid Shah and Shahid Aziz (both Emerging)
Supplementary: Johnson Charles, Muhammad Amir Barki, Shai Hope and Yasir Khan
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (all Platinum), Corbin Bosch, Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Haris (all Diamond), Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat and Nahid Rana (all Gold), Arif Yaqoob, Najeebullah Zadran, Max Bryant, Mehran Mumtaz and Sufyan Moqim (Brand Ambassador) (all silver), Ali Raza and Maaz Sadaqat (both Emerging)
Supplementary: Ahmed Daniyal and Alzarri Joseph
Quetta Gladiators: Faheem Ashraf, Finn Allen and Mark Chapman (Platinum), Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir (mentor) and Rilee Rossouw (all Diamond), Akeal Hosein, Saud Shakeel (Brand Ambassador) and Mohammad Wasim Jnr (all Gold), Haseebullah Khan, Khawaja Muhammad Nafay, Kyle Jamieson, Khurram Shahzad and Usman Tariq (all Silver), Mohammad Zeeshan and Hasan Nawaz (both Emerging)
Supplementary: Danish Aziz, Kusal Mendis, Sean Abbott and Shoaib Malik
Karachi Kings: Adam Milne, David Warner and Mohammad Abbas Afridi (all Platinum), Hasan Ali and James Vince, Khushdil Shah (all Diamond), Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Shan Masood (all Gold), Arafat Minhas (Brand Ambassador), Litton Das, Mir Hamza, Tim Seifert and Zahid Mehmood (all Silver), Fawad Ali and Riazullah (Emerging)
Supplementary: Kane Williamson, Mohammad Nabi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Mirza Mamoon
Lahore Qalandars: Daryl Mitchell, Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Shah Afridi (all Platinum), Haris Rauf (Brand Ambassador), Kusal Perera and Sikandar Raza (all Diamond), Abdullah Shafique, Jahandad Khan and Zaman Khan (all Gold), Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, David Wiese, Muhammad Akhlaq and Rishad Hossain (all Silver), Mohammad Azab and Momin Qamar (both Emerging)
Supplementary: Mohammad Naeem, Sam Billings, Salman Ali Mirza and Tom Curran