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Draft Vs Auction: What Is The Difference Between PSL And IPL's Player Signing System?

Abhinav Tyagi

IPL and PSL- (Source:@Johns/X.com)IPL and PSL- (Source:@Johns/X.com)

On Monday, January 13, the PCB conducted drafts for PSL season 10 which is all slated to start from April 8th and May 19th at the Huzoori Bagh in Lahore Fort. Ahead of the upcoming season, all six teams are present at the venue to complete their squads. 

The PCB decided to go a notch up and held the draft in a big ceremony, which was also telecast live. Talking about the draft is quite different from the IPL auction. Several fans are confused regarding the procedure of PSL drafts and this article will shed light on how a draft is different from the auction. 

How Does An IPL Auction Take Place?

The process for an auction is simple. The players- Indian + overseas stars register for the mega-event. The players are then divided into different sets, and then the auctioneer announces their names. It is up to the teams to bid for the player, who comes with a base price.

The team with the highest bid eventually gets to avail of that players' services for the upcoming season. There are a few other rules, such as RTM, but in general, the functioning of the auction depends on bids by teams, and the one with the highest bid gets the player.

What Is A Draft And Why PSL Prefer This System?

Talking about the PSL draft, there are six teams and six categories to pick from. It is worth noting that each team gets to make a pick from - Gold, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Emerging, and Supplementary.

The order is made by the PCB themselves based on teams' performances in a previous season or they either consult with the franchise owners and decide on the pick order. Here is how the pick-order looks for PSL 2025.

Now the first team reveals their choice from the platinum category, and similarly, each team gets to take a pick as per their order. Thus, unlike the IPL auction, there is no bidding war, and the team has to make a pick based on their pick order and the players left in that category. 

The method has often been termed unfair as there is no clarity over the methods used to select the pick order. Also, it is worth noting that the salaries are also pre-determined based on the category and the player in platinum getting the highest salary. 

The reason behind why PSL doesn't do an auction is because of financial restrictions in PSL.