LAHORE: Two cities have emerged as the leading contenders to be approved as new Pakistan Super League teams, sources said on Wednesday, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) moves ahead with plans to expand the tournament to eight sides from its 11th edition.
According to insiders, Faisalabad and Gilgit are the favourites from a shortlist of six cities that also included Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, and Rawalpindi.
The sources further revealed that the standoff between the PCB and Multan Sultans is yet to be resolved, with the 2021 champions still awaiting the renewal offer letter, comprising the revised franchise fees for the upcoming 10-year cycle.
Notably, the renewal offers were extended to five franchises – Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators – after the cricket board finalised the independent valuation process for the marquee league's franchises and other commercial assets earlier this month.
Franchises have been asked to respond within the specified deadline.
To ensure transparency and provide complete clarity on the valuation process, the board has arranged both joint and individual meetings between franchise officials and the independent valuer.
These sessions will allow franchises to review the valuation methodology and raise queries directly with the evaluators.
Furthermore, the PCB has also launched the process for the sale of two new PSL teams, its Chairman Mohsin Naqvi confirmed last week.
Taking to X, Naqvi shared an invitation banner, designed by the cricket board, comprising guidelines for bidders interested in acquiring the two new franchises, with the deadline for the submission of technical proposals set on December 15.
"Pakistan Cricket Board invites bids from interested parties who wish to acquire the Team Franchise Rights for two new teams of the PSL," the invitation letter read.
"Bid documents containing all relevant details, may be obtained from the undersigned. Deadline for submission of Technical Proposals is 15th December 2025 at 11:00 AM. The proposals shall be opened at 11:30 AM on the same day. Only technically qualified bidders will be allowed to participate further in the process."
In his social media post, the PCB chairman, while announcing the launch of the process of sale, said that the marquee league is set to get bigger and better.
"The Pakistan Super League is about to get Bigger and Better! Process for the sale of Two New Teams has been launched. Time for two new dreams [PSL] to come true," Naqvi said.