LAHORE (Kashmir English): The Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans has returned to the tournament days after it was renamed as Pindiz following the team auction, PSL CEO Salman Naseer confirmed on Tuesday.
The development came after the new franchise, Sialkot Stallionz, officially rebranded as Multan Sultans.
It was announced during a joint press conference in Lahore, attended by PSL chief executive Salman Naseer, Sialkot Stallionz franchise owner Hamza Majeed, and CD Ventures head Gohar Shah, who acquired a majority stake in the franchise.
OZ Developers originally bought the franchise for Rs1.85 billion at the PSL auction held in January this year.
Addressing the presser, Salman Naseer said the franchise’s per annum fees have now risen from Rs1.85 billion to Rs2 billion following the new investment.
“After becoming CEO, Gohar Shah requested a change in the franchise name, and that request has been officially accepted,” he said, adding that the team will now compete as Multan Sultans.
#NewEra x #NewSultans https://t.co/p54VTEhVxR
— Salman Naseer (@salnaseer) March 3, 2026
Previous owner, Hamza Majeed, described the deal as a strategic partnership approved by both the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the PSL. “Gohar Shah has joined us as a strategic partner and will serve as the franchise’s CEO.”
In a statement shared on Multan Sultan’s X account, Gohar Shah stated, “To the people of South Punjab, HBL PSL supporters, and Multan Sultans fans across the
globe: It brings me profound pride and incredible joy to share this news with you: our beloved Multan Sultans, the true representatives of our region, are officially back in the HBL PSL.”
Sialkot Stallionz auction
Earlier this month, OZ Developers acquired the franchise for an astonishing Rs 1.85 billion at an auction held on January 8.
The FKS Group and OZ Developers won the auction for the 7th and 8th Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams with the staggering prices of Rs1.75 billion and Rs1.85 billion, respectively.
The bidders named their franchises after Hyderabad and Sialkot following the completion of the expansion auction ahead of the upcoming season of PSL in 2026.
The bid for the 7th team started with the base price of Rs 1.10 billion, and all 10 qualified bidders competed fiercely for the new team.
The business group owned by Fawad Sarwar emerged as the winner and named the team after Hyderabad, becoming the second franchise from Sindh province.
Similarly, with the base price of Rs 1.70 billion, Oz Developers, owned by Hamza Majeed, successfully acquired the ownership of the eighth PSL team for Rs 1.85 billion.
The winner selected the home city for the franchise from the PCB-approved list that included Faisalabad, Gilgit, Hyderabad, Muzaffarabad, Rawalpindi, and Sialkot.
