PSL 2025: A Draft Packed with Talent and Surprises
This year, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) made a bold move by shifting into the IPL window. The goal was simple: attract top overseas players and improve the league’s quality. Judging by the impressive lineup of international stars for the tenth edition, the risk seems to have paid off.
The PSL draft took place at the stunning Hazuri Bagh near Lahore Fort and featured a star-studded roster. Big names like David Warner, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Jason Holder, and Rassie van der Dussen joined the league. Although the ceremony dragged on for seven hours, the promising pool of players ensured excitement for the upcoming season.
Full Player Availability a Game-Changer
For the first time in PSL history, partial player availability wasn’t an issue. The league will run from early April to late May, directly clashing with IPL 2025. However, with the IPL auction wrapped up, leftover players were free to commit fully to the PSL. This allowed every player in the draft to confirm their availability for the entire season.
While the shift meant losing Rashid Khan, who remains tied to the IPL, the league gained several players from countries like Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, whose schedules usually clash with PSL’s February-March window.
Kiwis Dominate the Draft
New Zealand players were the stars of the PSL draft. Over half of the Platinum picks were New Zealanders, including Finn Allen, Mitchell, Adam Milne, Michael Bracewell, and Mark Chapman, all playing in the PSL for the first time. Williamson and Kyle Jamieson joined as supplementary picks, further strengthening the Kiwi presence.
Focus on Fast Bowlers
Unlike previous years, franchises prioritized overseas fast bowlers over power-hitters. Notable picks included Adam Milne, Sean Abbott, Josh Little, Jason Holder, and Alzarri Joseph. This shift hints at franchises becoming less confident in local fast-bowling talent.
Major Player Movements
The draft also saw emotional departures and fresh starts. Faheem Ashraf left Islamabad United after years of loyalty, joining Quetta Gladiators as a Platinum pick. Sarfaraz Ahmed, who captained the Gladiators for nine seasons, wasn’t drafted but will stay involved in a new role with the team.
Mohammad Hasnain left the Gladiators for Multan Sultans, while Ubaid Shah, the youngest of Naseem Shah’s brothers, also moved to the Sultans. Sadly, Ihsanullah, once the Sultans’ fastest bowler, went unpicked after an injury derailed his career.
PSL 2025 Squads After the Draft
Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Daryl Mitchell (all platinum), Haris Rauf, Sikandar Raza and Kusal Perera (all diamond), Abdullah Shafique, Jahandad Khan and Zaman Khan (all gold), David Wiese, Asif Ali, Asif Afridi, Muhammad Akhlaq and Rishad Hossain (all silver), Momin Qamar and Momin Azab (both emerging), Muhammad Naeem, Salman Ali Mirza and Tom Curran (all supplementary).
Karachi Kings: David Warner, Abbas Afridi and Adam Milne (all platinum), James Vince, Hasan Ali, Khushdil Shah (all diamond), Shan Masood, Muhammad Irfan Khan and Aamir Jamal (all gold), Arafat Minhas (brand ambassador), Tim Seifert, Zahid Mahmood, Litton Das and Mir Hamza (all silver), Fawad Ali and Riazullah (both emerging), Omair Bin Yousuf, Kane Williamson, Mohammad Nabi and Mirza Mamoon (all supplementary).
Islamabad United: Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah and Matthew Short (all platinum), Azam Khan, Imad Wasim and Jason Holder (all diamond), Haider Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Ben Dwarshuis (all gold), Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Andries Gous, Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Irshad (all silver), Hunain Shah and Saad Masood (both emerging), Rassie van der Dussen, Riley Meredith and Sam Billings (all supplementary).
Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan, Usama Mir and Michael Bracewell (all platinum), David Willey, Iftikhar Ahmed and Usman Khan (all diamond), Chris Jordan, Kamran Ghulam and Mohammad Hasnain (all gold), Faisal Akram, Akif Javed, Gudakesh Motie, Josh Little and Tayyab Tahir (all silver), Shahid Aziz and Ubaid Shah (both emerging), Muhammad Amir Barki, Johnson Charles and Yasir Khan (all supplementary).
Quetta Gladiators: Finn Allen, Faheem Ashraf and Mark Chapman (all platinum), Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir and Rilee Rossouw (all diamond), Akeal Hossein, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Saud Shakeel (all gold), Khawaja Nafay, Usman Tariq, Haseebullah Khan and Khurram Shahzad (all silver), Kyle Jamieson and Hasan Nawaz (both emerging), Mohammad Zeeshan, Danish Aziz, Kusal Mendis and Sean Abbott (all supplementary).
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (all platinum), Mohammad Haris, Corbin Bosch and Mohammad Ali (all diamond), Hussain Talat, Nahid Rana and Abdul Samad (all gold), Arif Yaqoob, Mehran Mumtaz, Sufiyan Muqeem and Najibullah Zadran (all silver), Ali Raza and Maaz Sadaqat (both emerging), Ahmed Daniyal and Alzarri Joseph (both supplementary).