Karachi Kings have announced their retained players for the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) season.
The former PSL champions confirmed four retentions across multiple categories:
- Platinum: Hasan Ali
- Diamond: Abbas Afridi
- Gold: Khushdil Shah
- Emerging: Saad Baig
The franchise did not retain any player from the Silver category.
Ahead of the auction, Karachi Kings had 16 players listed across different categories. The Platinum category included captain David Warner alongside Hasan Ali, while Abbas Afridi and Shan Masood were placed in the Diamond category.
The Gold category featured Khushdil Shah, Aamer Jamal, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mir Hamza, Zahid Mahmood, Omair bin Yousuf, Shahnawaz Dahani, and Arafat Minhas. Mirza Mamoon Imtiaz was listed in the Silver category, while Razaullah, Fawad Ali, and Saad Baig were included in the Emerging category.
From this pool, the Kings opted to keep Hasan Ali, Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, and Saad Baig as their four protected players.
Retention rules have also changed for PSL 11. In the league’s first 10 seasons, franchises were allowed to retain up to eight players. Under the updated regulations, teams can now retain only four players, spread across categories, forcing franchises to make sharper decisions before heading into the auction.
PSL 11 will also be a landmark edition because the tournament is expanding from six teams to eight. Hyderabad and Sialkot Stallionz are the two new franchises set to debut this season.
The Hyderabad team was won by Fawad Sarwar with a bid of Rs 1.75 billion, while the Sialkot Stallionz franchise was secured by Hamza Majeed for Rs 1.85 billion.
The 11th edition of the PSL will begin on March 26 and run through May 3.
