PSL Team Owners 2026: Complete List of All 8 Pakistan Super League Franchise Owners

Updated for PSL 11 | New franchises, record bids, and ownership changes explained

Why PSL Team Owners Matter More Than Ever in 2026

PSL 2026 is not just another season. It is the biggest shake-up in the league’s ten-year history.

For the first time, the Pakistan Super League has expanded to eight teams. Two brand-new franchises have joined. One old franchise changed hands, changed its name, and even changed its city. Another new buyer took over the Sialkot rights and immediately revived a historic brand.

So if you are wondering who owns which PSL team in 2026, who paid what, and what each owner brings to the table — this article covers everything in one place.

Quick Answer: PSL 2026 has eight franchise owners. The six original teams renewed their contracts for another decade. The Multan Sultans franchise was sold to Walee Technologies, which rebranded it as Pindiz and moved it to Rawalpindi. OZ Developers bought the Sialkot franchise but then sold it to CD Ventures, who revived the Multan Sultans name. FKS Group from the USA owns Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen.

PSL Team Owners 2026: Full List at a Glance

Sources: PCB Official Press Release | ESPNcricinfo | PSL Official Site

The Original Six Teams and Their Owners

These six franchises have been part of PSL since 2016. After ten years, their contracts expired at the end of the 2025 season. Five of them renewed for another decade. Multan Sultans was the only team whose owners did not renew — leading to its auction.

1. Lahore Qalandars — Atif Rana & Sameen Rana

Lahore Qalandars are the most successful team in PSL right now. They have won the title three times — in 2022, 2023, and 2025 — making them the joint most-decorated franchise alongside Islamabad United.

The team is owned by brothers Atif Rana and Sameen Rana. In media and fan circles, the older brother Fawad Rana often appears publicly, but the official franchise rights are held by Atif and Sameen through their company QALCO and the Kausar Rana Trust.

The Lahore franchise was originally purchased in 2015 for US$25.1 million over ten years. In November 2025, the Ranas renewed their contract for another decade.

• Annual fee (2026–2035): PKR 670 million (~$2.37 million)
• EY valuation: PKR 980 million — highest among original six teams
• Key fact: Lahore is the only PSL team to be named the most valuable franchise based on combined on-field and organisational performance

2. Islamabad United — Ali Naqvi & Amna Naqvi

Islamabad United is the other three-time PSL champion. They won in 2016, 2018, and 2024, and have reached the playoffs in seven out of ten seasons — a record of consistency no other franchise matches.

The franchise is owned by Ali Naqvi and his wife Amna Naqvi through their company Leonine Global Sports, based in Hong Kong. Ali started his career at Standard Chartered Bank and later became chairman of Netsol Technologies. Amna handles much of the day-to-day team management.

United renewed their franchise contract in late 2025 and will pay a set annual fee through 2035.

• Annual fee (2026–2035): PKR 480 million (~$1.7 million)
• Key fact: Islamabad United was one of the first PSL teams to invest seriously in analytics and international coaching setups, which explains their consistent playoff appearances

3. Karachi Kings — Salman Iqbal (ARY Group)

Karachi Kings are owned by Salman Iqbal, the head of the ARY Group — one of Pakistan’s largest media conglomerates with television, news, and digital platforms operating across the country.

The Kings won the PSL title once, in 2020, and despite a passionate fanbase in Pakistan’s largest city, they have had inconsistent results since then. Their renewed contract for 2026–2035 gives the ownership a chance to rebuild.

• Owner: Salman Iqbal, CEO ARY Group
• Notable: Karachi has the largest cricket fanbase in Pakistan, making the Kings one of the commercially most valuable teams even without recent on-field success

4. Peshawar Zalmi — Javed Afridi

Peshawar Zalmi is owned by Javed Afridi, one of the most recognisable faces in Pakistani business. He owns Haier Pakistan, which manufactures home appliances, and is also known for launching the MG car brand in Pakistan.

Afridi belongs to the Afridi tribe from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and takes enormous pride in what the Zalmi brand means for that region. The team won PSL’s second-ever title in 2017 and has been a competitive force since.

Afridi confirmed his contract renewal in November 2025, shortly after the Lahore Qalandars announced theirs.

• EY valuation: ~PKR 870 million (~$3.1 million), up from PKR 270 million in 2016 — a 3x increase
• Key fact: Javed Afridi is one of the most visible franchise owners in PSL, regularly present at matches and vocal on social media

5. Quetta Gladiators — Nadeem Omar

Quetta Gladiators is the only PSL franchise owned by someone with a strong personal cricket background. Nadeem Omar of Omar Associates has been actively involved in cricket development in Karachi for decades, and has supported many players who went on to represent Pakistan nationally — including former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed.

The Gladiators won the PSL title in 2019 and have been a consistent playoff contender. Their contract was renewed for 2026–2035.

• Key fact: Quetta Gladiators had the smallest auction purse heading into PSL 11 — PKR 33.14 crore — suggesting a conservative but experienced ownership approach

The Multan Sultans Saga: What Happened and Who Owns What Now

This is the most complicated ownership story in PSL 2026, and most articles do not explain it clearly. Here is the full picture.

The Multan Sultans franchise, originally owned by the Tareen Group, did not renew its contract when the existing agreements expired after 2025. The PCB put the franchise up for auction.

February 9, 2026: Walee Technologies, a Pakistani fintech company led by Ahsan Tahir, won the auction with a record bid of PKR 2.45 billion — making it the most expensive franchise sale in PSL history. The new owners decided to relocate the team from Multan to Rawalpindi and rebranded it as Pindiz.

Meanwhile — the Sialkot franchise (now Multan Sultans): OZ Developers won the Sialkot franchise in January 2026 for PKR 1.85 billion. But before PSL 11 even began, they sold the franchise to CD Ventures, led by Gohar Shah. CD Ventures immediately revived the Multan Sultans identity and relocated the team back to Multan.

In short: the Multan Sultans name lives on — just under completely new ownership and via an entirely different franchise route.

• Pindiz (Rawalpindi) = Walee Technologies — uses the old Multan Sultans franchise slot
• Multan Sultans (Multan) = CD Ventures / Gohar Shah — acquired via Sialkot franchise

Pindiz — Walee Technologies (Ahsan Tahir)

• Bid price: PKR 2.45 billion — highest ever franchise sale in PSL history
• Based in: Rawalpindi
• Key signings: Mohammad Rizwan (retained), Naseem Shah (PKR 8.65 crore — top auction buy), Daryl Mitchell

Multan Sultans (revived) — CD Ventures (Gohar Shah)

• Original Sialkot franchise sold to: CD Ventures before PSL 11 started
• Based in: Multan (Multan Cricket Stadium)
• Key signing: Steve Smith (PKR 14 crore direct signing — most expensive in PSL 11)

The Two Brand-New PSL Franchises in 2026

PSL 2026 is the first time the league has expanded since the Multan Sultans were added in 2017. The PCB shortlisted six cities — Faisalabad, Gilgit, Hyderabad, Muzaffarabad, Rawalpindi, and Sialkot — before settling on Hyderabad and Sialkot as the two new homes.

The auction took place on January 8, 2026, at Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad. Nine bidders competed in a live auction that exceeded all expectations.

Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen — FKS Group (Fawad Sarwar)

Fawad Sarwar, the president of FKS Group, is an overseas Pakistani who was born and raised in Hyderabad before building his career in the United States. FKS Group operates in aviation and healthcare, and also runs the Chicago Kingsmen — a cricket team in the US.

Sarwar outbid all competitors to claim the seventh PSL franchise for PKR 1.75 billion (approximately $6.2 million). That annual fee is almost three times higher than what Lahore Qalandars pay — or equivalent to the combined annual fees of Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar.

The team’s full name — Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen — reflects the personal journey of the owner: Hyderabad where he grew up, Houston where he built his business.

• Bid price: PKR 1.75 billion
• Key signing: Saim Ayub (PKR 12.60 crore — highest by any team in PSL 11 auction)

Sialkot Stallionz (original franchise) / Multan Sultans (CD Ventures) — OZ Developers then CD Ventures

The eighth franchise was won by OZ Group — an Australian-based real estate consortium — for a record PKR 1.85 billion. OZ Group is led by Hamza Majeed Chaudhry, an overseas Pakistani who previously lived in Australia and has been involved in international cricket initiatives including sponsorship of the World Championship of Legends in the UK.

Chaudhry named the team after Sialkot — a city internationally famous for producing cricket bats, footballs, and sports equipment. However, the franchise was sold to CD Ventures before the 2026 season even began. CD Ventures, under Gohar Shah, revived the Multan Sultans brand and moved the franchise to Multan.

• Original winning bid: PKR 1.85 billion by OZ Developers
• Current owner: CD Ventures / Gohar Shah

PSL 2026 Franchise Fees: How Much Is Each Team Worth?

The PSL commissioned EY (Ernst & Young) to independently value all franchises as part of the 2026 contract renewal process. Here is what the numbers look like:

The jump in franchise valuations tells the real story of PSL’s growth. In 2016, the most expensive franchise — Multan Sultans — was sold for the equivalent of about PKR 270 million per year. In 2026, the same franchise slot sold for PKR 2.45 billion. That is nearly a 10x increase in a decade.

For more on how these valuations affect player spending, check out this breakdown of the PSL 2026 most expensive players.

What Do PSL Franchise Owners Actually Do?

Many fans assume that owning a PSL team is just writing a big cheque and showing up at matches. In reality, franchise owners are responsible for much more:

• Paying the annual franchise fee to the PCB
• Hiring the team’s coaching and support staff
• Managing the budget for player retentions and auction purse
• Building the brand through marketing, kit designs, and fan engagement
• Handling stadium logistics and home match operations
• Developing grassroots cricket through academies and talent hunts — Lahore Qalandars set the benchmark here with their famous talent hunt programme that discovered Haris Rauf

The most involved owners — like the Ranas of Lahore Qalandars and Javed Afridi of Peshawar Zalmi — are visible at nearly every game and make regular public statements about team strategy. Others, like Ali Naqvi of Islamabad United, prefer a behind-the-scenes management style.

The New Auction System: A Major Change for All Eight Owners

PSL 2026 introduced one more big change that directly affects all franchise owners: the move from a player draft to a player auction.

Since the league began in 2016, teams built their squads through a draft system. For PSL 11, the PCB switched to an auction format — the same model used by the IPL.

• Each franchise received a standard auction purse of PKR 45 crore
• Teams could extend the purse to PKR 50.5 crore by directly signing one overseas player not in the previous PSL season
• Owners were allowed to retain up to four players before the auction (one per price category)
• New franchises — Hyderabad and the Sialkot/Multan slot — could sign four players to match the retained players of others

This change has significant financial implications for owners. In a draft, you know exactly what you are paying per player tier. In an auction, a single player can go for far more than budgeted if multiple teams compete for him — as happened when Naseem Shah sold for PKR 8.65 crore to Pindiz.

Frequently Asked Questions About PSL Team Owners 2026

Who is the owner of Lahore Qalandars in 2026?

Lahore Qalandars are owned by Atif Rana and Sameen Rana, brothers who run the franchise through QALCO and the Kausar Rana Trust. Fawad Rana, another family member, is frequently seen at matches and in media appearances.

Who bought the Multan Sultans franchise in 2026?

Walee Technologies, led by Ahsan Tahir, bought the Multan Sultans franchise on February 9, 2026, for PKR 2.45 billion. They renamed the team Pindiz and moved it to Rawalpindi. Separately, CD Ventures (Gohar Shah) bought the Sialkot franchise rights from OZ Developers and revived the Multan Sultans name, basing the team back in Multan.

Who owns Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen?

FKS Group, led by Fawad Sarwar, owns Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen. FKS is a US-based aviation and healthcare conglomerate. Sarwar was born in Hyderabad, Pakistan, and the team name reflects both his hometown and his adopted city of Houston.

Who owns Sialkot’s PSL franchise?

The Sialkot franchise was originally acquired by OZ Developers (Hamza Majeed Chaudhry) for PKR 1.85 billion. Before PSL 11 began, it was sold to CD Ventures (Gohar Shah), who renamed the team Multan Sultans and relocated it to Multan.

How many PSL teams are there in 2026?

PSL 2026 (PSL 11) has eight teams — the most in the league’s history. The original six teams (Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators) were joined by Pindiz (formerly Multan Sultans), Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen, and the revived Multan Sultans (formerly Sialkot Stallionz).

Which PSL team has the highest franchise fee in 2026?

Pindiz — the franchise formerly known as Multan Sultans — has the highest annual fee at PKR 2.45 billion, making it the most expensive franchise in PSL history.

Who owns Quetta Gladiators?

Quetta Gladiators are owned by Nadeem Omar of Omar Associates, who has a personal background in cricket development and has supported several players who went on to play for Pakistan nationally.

Who owns Karachi Kings in PSL 2026?

Karachi Kings are owned by Salman Iqbal, CEO of the ARY Group — one of Pakistan’s largest media companies. The franchise has been under the same ownership since PSL’s inaugural season in 2016.

Final Word

PSL 2026 is a genuinely new era for Pakistan cricket. The ownership landscape has completely transformed. New investors from the US, Australia, and Pakistan’s tech sector have joined, and franchise valuations have multiplied tenfold since 2016.

For Pakistani cricket fans, that is very good news. More investment means better infrastructure, higher-quality signings, and a more competitive league. Whether you support Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, or the brand-new Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen — your team now has an owner who paid record money to be here.

The 2026 season runs from March 26 to May 3. Eight teams. Eight owners. One title.

Sources

1. PCB Official Press Release — HBL PSL expands with new franchises

2. ESPNcricinfo — Hyderabad and Sialkot join PSL

3. ESPN — Lahore Qalandars extend ownership rights for 10 years

4. PSL Official Site — psl-t20.com

5. Wikipedia — 2026 Pakistan Super League

6. PSL Update Hub — PSL 2026 Most Expensive Players