The first-ever Pakistan Super League (PSL) auction took place today in Lahore. As many as eight teams bid on the players they wished to sign for the upcoming season, from their PKR 50.5 crore (INR 16.34 crore) purse. Hyderabad and Rawalpindi franchises had the maximum purse, while the rest of the teams' purse was reduced as they either retained a few players or also made a direct overseas signing. At the end of the auction, Naseem Shah turned out to be the most expensive player.
He was picked by the Rawalpindi franchise for PKR 8.65 crore, which is approximately INR 2.8 crore. This is just over the highest base price slab of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In IPL auction, Rs 2 crore is the highest base price slab and the bidding reaches Rs 2.8 crore within a minute for certain players. This highlights the massive gap between the two T20 leagues as IPL and PSL are compared on several occasions.
If we consider the direct signings before the auction in PSL, Steve Smith is the most expensive player as he will receive PKR 14 crore from Sialkot Stallianz which is 4.53 crore in Indian Rupees. At the same time, the most expensive player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history is Rishabh Pant, who was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants for a whopping amount of Rs 27 crore, which equates to 83.40 crore in Pakistan Rupees.
Comparing the most expensive players in IPL and PSL
| T20 League | Player Name | Indian Rupees | Pakistan Rupees |
| IPL Auction | Rishabh Pant | 27 crore | 80.43 crore |
| PSL Auction | Naseem Shah | 2.8 crore | 8.65 crore |
| PSL (Direct Signing) | Steve Smith | 4.53 crore | 14 crore |
Top 5 most expensive players in PSL auction
As far as the top five most expensive players in the PSL auction are concerned, apart from Naseem Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Daryl Mitchell, Fakhar Zaman and David Warner also feature in the list. Several overseas players didn't find takers at the auction as all eight teams formed their respective squads for the upcoming season. For the first time in history, eight teams will compete in PSL this year but it will again clash with the IPL directly.
Top 5 most expensive players in PSL auction
Naseem Shah - PKR 8.65 crore (Rawalpindi)
Faheem Ashraf - PKR 8.5 crore (Islamabad United)
Daryl Mitchell - PKR 8.05 crore (Rawalpindi)
Fakhar Zaman - PKR 7.95 crore (Lahore Qalandars)
David Warner - PKR 7.9 crore (Karachi Kings)
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