PSL 11 Auction: Peshawar Zalmi Lock In Babar Azam at PKR 70 Million

On Wednesday, Peshawar Zalmi officially announced the retention rates of their four retained players as they prepared for the Pakistan Super League 11 players auction on February 11. The league confirmed the details through its official social media accounts, providing fans with clear information on the amount the franchise had spent ahead of the auction.

Babar Azam, the team captain and star batter, leads the list of retained players, having been secured in the Platinum category for PKR 70 million. This move underscores Zalmi’s intent to continue building their squad around the experienced batter as the league enters a new era of recruitment.

Breakdown of Retained Players and Prices

Alongside Babar, Sufyan Muqeem has been retained in the Diamond category and will earn PKR 44.8 million. Abdul Samad, who remains part of the squad in the Gold category, is set to receive PKR 28 million. Ali Raza has been secured in the Emerging category, with a retention price of PKR 19.6 million.

The franchise acknowledged the update publicly through an official post, stating:

“The yellow storm is coming

Peshawar Zalmi have confirmed their retentions for HBL PSL 2026, ahead of the upcoming Player’s Auction

#HBLPSL | #NewEra”

— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 4, 2026

Budget Status Ahead of Historic Auction

With these four retentions finalized, Peshawar Zalmi have spent PKR 162.4 million from their allocated franchise budget. Under PSL 11 regulations, each team has been granted a total purse of PKR 450 million, along with an additional PKR 55 million reserved for direct signings under the newly introduced auction-based system.

This season marks a significant shift for the league, as PSL moves away from the long-standing draft model and adopts a full auction format for the first time in its history.

PSL 11 retentions continue to shape the competitive landscape, with franchises carefully balancing star power and auction flexibility in this new chapter of the league.