LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Super League franchises have officially announced their retained players for the 11th edition of the tournament, triggering major shifts in team compositions ahead of the newly introduced auction-based selection process.
Under the revised PSL framework, franchises are allowed to retain only one player per category, replacing the traditional draft system with an auction model for the remaining squad spots. The move marks a significant change in the league’s history and is expected to intensify competition during the auction phase.
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Among the high-profile retentions, Peshawar Zalmi retained Babar Azam, Lahore Qalandars kept Shaheen Shah Afridi, Islamabad United held on to Shadab Khan, Karachi Kings retained Hasan Ali, and Quetta Gladiators named Abrar Ahmed as their platinum pick. Several established stars, including Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan, were released and will enter the auction.
Karachi Kings
Karachi Kings retained Hasan Ali in the platinum category. Abbas Afridi was kept in diamond, Khushdil Shah in gold, and Saad Baig in the emerging category.
Core secured The #KingsSquad starts strong as we present our top retentions for HBL PSL 11! pic.twitter.com/CHOZLlGE5E
— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) February 3, 2026The franchise opted to release several other squad members as it reshapes its roster ahead of the auction.
Lahore Qalandars
Defending champions Lahore Qalandars retained captain Shaheen Shah Afridi in the platinum category. Abdullah Shafique was retained in diamond, Sikandar Raza in gold, and Muhammad Naeem in silver.
Presenting the Qalandars Fource @iShaheenAfridi (Platinum)@imabd28 (Diamond) @SRazaB24 (Gold)@MNaeemMangal20 (Silver) Retentions Bring on the Auction now. #Number1TeamForAReason #QalandarDilSe pic.twitter.com/qGu6zWYUyj
— Lahore Qalandars (@lahoreqalandars) February 3, 2026The Qalandars released prominent players including Haris Rauf and Fakhar Zaman from platinum, along with Salman Mirza from diamond, Zaman Khan, Jahandad Khan, Asif Afridi and Asif Ali from gold, and Muhammad Akhlaq and Muhammad Aazib from silver.
Islamabad United
Islamabad United confirmed Shadab Khan as their platinum retention. Salman Irshad was retained in gold, while Andries Gous remained in the silver category.
More big news coming soon @76Shadabkhan - Platinum@Salman150kph - Gold@Gousie08 - Silver These are the 3 retentions for #HBLPSL season 11. #UnitedWeWin #SherusRetained #NewEra #DimaghSe pic.twitter.com/5B7kQI7cFW
— Islamabad United (@IsbUnited) February 3, 2026The franchise released a number of experienced players, including Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz and Imad Wasim from platinum. Azam Khan, Haider Ali and Roman Raees were released from gold, while Muhammad Faeeq and Haneen Shah exited from silver.
Quetta Gladiators
Quetta Gladiators retained Abrar Ahmed in the platinum category. Usman Tariq was kept in diamond, Hasan Nawaz in gold, and Hussain in the emerging category.
Retained. Reloaded. Ready. Abrar Ahmed Usman Tariq Hassan Nawaz Shamyl Hussain Season 11 is locked in @thePSLt20 #PurpleForce #HBLPSLNewEra pic.twitter.com/ObKC8y7yIj
— Quetta Gladiators (@TeamQuetta) February 3, 2026The Gladiators released Mohammad Amir and Faheem Ashraf from platinum, Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Wasim Jr from diamond, and Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan,
Khawaja Nafay and Danish Aziz from gold. Mohammad Zeeshan was released from the emerging category.
Peshawar Zalmi
Peshawar Zalmi confirmed Babar Azam as their retained player for PSL 11. The franchise retained Sufiyan Muqeem in diamond, Abdul Samad in gold, and Ali Raza in the emerging category. Saim Ayub was released from the platinum category and will be available for the auction.
Locked in and confirmed Here’s the Yellow Storm Retentions shaping up for #HBLPSL11 @babarazam258 (Platinum)@RealSufiyan_M (Diamond)@abdulsams60 (Gold) Ali Raza (Emerging)#Zalmi #YellowStorm #HBLPSLAuction pic.twitter.com/wQiObhnlb9
— Peshawar Zalmi (@PeshawarZalmi) February 3, 2026The PSL auction is expected to play a decisive role this season, with franchises rebuilding squads under the new rules. According to sources, the deadline for retaining players ahead of the auction for two incoming teams is 6 February.