PCB Reveals PSL 2025 Draft Date Amid Champions Trophy Mystery

Arnav Chopra

Babar Azam in Peshawar Zalmi (Source: @thePSLt20/X.com)Babar Azam in Peshawar Zalmi (Source: @thePSLt20/X.com)

The countdown has begun for the 2025 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have announced the date for the draft before the next edition, with prominent players looking to get an entry after the IPL snub. All this is happening amid the Champions Trophy 2025 controversy that has lingered on between the BCCI, PCB and the ICC.

PCB has earmarked 11th January 2025 as the date for the draft schedule as six franchises will be competing in the draft process to fill up their squads with players divided into different categories, i.e. Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Emerging.

It was previously reported that players who went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega-auction last month, like Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Southee, Steve Smith, David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Shai Hope, Alex Carey, Keshav Maharaj, Akeal Hosein, etc would be the hot picks in the upcoming PSL draft.

PSL Draft Likely To Take Place Outside Pakistan

Following the IPL route, the PCB is inclined towards hosting the PSL Draft in either Dubai or London to boost the image of its product. Previously, the IPL auction took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last month and was watched by millions around the globe.

"Franchise owners believe holding the draft in an international city will improve PSL's brand image and boost its reputation as a competitive league," said one of the league's sources.

For the unversed, the PCB have already announced the tentative schedule of the PSL 2025 from 10th April to 25th May next year as it plans to "co-exist" with the IPL during the April-May window due to Champions Trophy being held in the country from 19th February to 9th March. However, the venue is yet to be finalized between the global cricketing bodies.