The ownerless Multan Sultans franchise, taken over by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last month after the dismissal of its owner Ali Tareen, has now been put up for auction ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in March.
Following Tareen’s departure from Multan Sultans in November after the PCB failed to offer him a renewal, the national board announced that it would take over the franchise for the 11th edition of the tournament, scheduled from March 26 to May 3.
The technical proposal for the offer was set for January 30, 2026, at 3 p.m., according to a publication on social networks.
In an advertisement, the PCB said the tender “presents an opportunity for potential investors to participate in the new era of HBL PSL”.
“Being an integral part of the HBL PSL since its third edition in 2018, Multan already enjoys an established presence and following within the HBL PSL, presenting a compelling opportunity for investors to build on its legacy and take Team Multan to unprecedented heights in the HBL PSL,” the advertisement read.
This development comes after two new franchises were added to the league last week. OZ Developers submitted a massive bid of Rs 1.85 billion to win Sialkot, while FKS Group secured Hyderabad for Rs 1.75 billion in the league auction on Thursday.
The cities in the running for possible franchise award included Faisalabad, Gilgit, Hyderabad, Muzaffarabad, Rawalpindi and Sialkot.
Current PSL teams include Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans.
Just hours before the auction began, Tareen announced on social media that he and his family would not participate in the PSL auction.
“Our time with Multan Sultans was never just about owning a cricket team. It was about South Punjab,” he wrote in an article on X.
“(It was) about giving a voice to a region that had been neglected for too long. That’s what drove everything we built.”
