Peshawar Zalmi led the announcements by retaining their star batsman Babar Azam in the platinum category for a whopping PKR 7 crore.

In addition, Sufyan Mujeeb secured the diamond category at PKR 4.48 crore, Abdul Samad grabbed the gold category at PKR 2.8 crore, and the emerging talent Ali Raza was retained for PKR 1.96 crore.

Lahore Qalandars followed suit, locking in Shaheen Afridi in the platinum bracket at PKR 7 crore, while Abdullah Shafiq claimed the diamond category for PKR 2.2 crore. Sikandar Raza was retained in gold for PKR 2.8 crore, and young Mohammad Naeem joined the silver category for PKR 70 lakh.

Quetta Gladiators invested heavily as well, keeping Abrar Ahmed in platinum at PKR 7 crore, Usman Tariq in diamond at PKR 5.6 crore, Hassan Nawaz in gold at PKR 3.92 crore, and promising newcomer Hussain in the emerging category for PKR 84 lakh.

Karachi Kings retained pace sensation Hassan Ali in platinum at PKR 4.76 crore. The franchise also held onto Abbas Afridi in diamond at PKR 3.08 crore, Khushdil Shah in gold at PKR 3.36 crore, and Saad Baig in the emerging category for PKR 60 lakh.

Islamabad United cemented their lineup by retaining Shadab Khan in platinum at PKR 7 crore, Salman Arshad in gold for PKR 1.4 crore, and Andres Goos in silver at PKR 1.2 crore. The franchise had PKR 45 crore allocated for the auction, of which PKR 9.6 crore has already been spent on direct retentions. An additional PKR 5.5 crore has been set aside specifically for direct signings.

With retention announcements wrapped up, the stage is now set for a high octane auction where franchises will bid aggressively to complete their squads. Fans can expect an intriguing mix of seasoned stars and emerging talents ready to shine under the PSL spotlight.