PSL could feature two additional teams from next edition

The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), scheduled for next year, may expand to include eight teams, according to tournament COO Salman Naseer.

The PSL, Pakistan's premier T20 league, was first launched in 2016 with five teams: Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators. In 2018, the league grew to six teams with the addition of Multan Sultans.

Since then, the PSL has been played with six teams, though discussions about expanding the league have surfaced periodically. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had previously announced that the 10th edition of the tournament, set for this year, would be the last to feature six teams, with two new teams expected in the 2026 edition.

However, the latest development indicates that the league could introduce two more teams sooner. Salman Naseer, who became the COO of PSL in November 2024, provided an update on the league's expansion. He mentioned that the addition of two more teams could take place as early as the end of this year.

"By the end of this year, we might get two more teams," Naseer told local media on Thursday.

He explained that the PSL's journey began when cricket was largely absent from Pakistan, and the challenge was to bring it back. With cricket now successfully restored to traditional centers, Naseer emphasized that the next step was to expand beyond the current cities of Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Multan.

The PSL, typically held during the February-March window, now faces tough competition from other T20 leagues such as South Africa's SA20 and the UAE's International League T20, both influenced by the financially powerful Indian Premier League (IPL).

"This year will be an interesting test, and with more teams, we anticipate a bigger window," Naseer added. 

"Some of our rights are up for valuation after this PSL. A lot will depend on the data we gather," he concluded.