LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Friday unveiled a special reward for the franchises participating in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026.
In a post shared on his X account, Naqvi said that the rewards are aimed at acknowledging the franchises' role in the league's continued growth and success.
According to the PCB chairman, the PSL 2026 champion will receive $500,000, the runner-up will be awarded $300,000, and the franchise recognised for outstanding contributions to cricket development will be granted $200,000.
These rewards are separate from the regular prize money awarded each season.
"Let's take Pakistan cricket to new heights," he added.
Earlier in the day, the PCB announced that the auction for the two new PSL franchises will be held on January 6, 2026, marking a major milestone in the league’s expansion plans.
The announcement came shortly after the PCB dismissed media reports claiming that the names of the two new franchises had already been finalised.
The board reiterated that team names will only be determined after the auction, and strictly in accordance with the process outlined in the official Bid Documents.
Earlier speculation suggested that Faisalabad and Gilgit were the frontrunners; however, insiders confirmed that these are merely two out of six shortlisted cities.
The pool of shortlisted cities under consideration for franchise allocation includes Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit.
Only technically qualified bidders will be invited to participate in the auction, and the successful bidders will have the right to select their preferred city/team name from the shortlisted locations.
