By Zainab Shafiq 
The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 player draft was held on Monday at the historic Huzoori Bagh in Lahore Fort. Teams grabbed the opportunity to fill their rosters with international and local talent, as cricket fans are eagerly waiting for the start of the tournament. PSL 2025 squads now feature a mix of seasoned players and fresh faces, promising an exciting season ahead.
New Stars in PSL 2025
The first choice was New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell, a 70-time T20I veteran, to the Lahore Qalandars. They picked Mitchell in hopes of fortifying their batting department as he was playing PSL for the very first time this season.
With the second Platinum pick, David Warner joined the Karachi Kings, adding a wealth of experience to their squad. Warner, a T20 veteran with 12,727 runs across 392 matches, is set to make his PSL debut and bring a formidable presence to Karachi’s top order.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore, a regular in the PSL, was retained by Peshawar Zalmi through the Right to Match option after he was first picked by Quetta Gladiators. The Gladiators also chose New Zealand’s Mark Chapman, who has played 81 T20Is and boasts a decade of international experience.
Platinum Talent Shines in Round One
The Platinum round ended with super selectings, including Michael Bracewell for Multan Sultans and Matthew Short for Islamabad United. Bracewell, an all-rounder from New Zealand, has enriched his team with his batting and bowling skills, while Short provides explosive batting strength to Islamabad’s batting order as they chase their fourth PSL title.
Heavy Hitters in Platinum Round Two
Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings made some wise picks in Platinum round two. Quetta used their Wild Card to pick Pakistan’s all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, along with aggressive New Zealand opener Finn Allen, who has a strike rate of 158.69 in T20Is. Karachi Kings went for pace by picking Adam Milne and used their Wild Card to get Mohammad Abbas Afridi, the PSL 2023 wicket-taker leader.
Diamond Round Infusion of International flavor
The Diamond round saw Peshawar Zalmi, Islamabad United, and Lahore Qalandars infuse with international stars. Jason Holder, the West Indian veteran all-rounder, was signed up by Islamabad United. Lahore Qalandars picked the left-hander Kusal Perera from Sri Lanka. Peshawar Zalmi chose South African pacer Corbin Bosch to add more muscle to their team.
The final rounds were focused on developing up-and-coming players and strengthening teams. Islamabad United added Saad Masood, a promising leg-spinner and batsman who broke his maiden season with success in the Champions T20 Cup. Multan Sultans signed Irish pacer Josh Little and West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie. Andries Gous becomes the first player ever from the United States to play in PSL, joining Islamabad United.
Significant Picks in Supplementary Rounds
Some major names entered the league through supplementary round picks. Karachi Kings acquired New Zealand’s Kane Williamson in that round while handing him his national teammate Adam Milne.
Lahore Qalandars fetched England’s Sam Billings and Quetta Gladiators grabbed Sean Abbott to improve their all-rounders. Multan Sultans brought Shai Hope and Johnson Charles to further their depth.
PSL 2025 Squads
| Team | Platinum | Diamond | Gold | Silver | Emerging | Supplementary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islamabad United | Matthew Short, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan | Jason Holder, Azam Khan, Imad Wasim | Ben Dwarshuis, Salman Irshad, Salman Ali Agha, Haider Ali | Andries Gous, Colin Munro, Muhammad Nawaz, Rumman Raees | Saad Masood, Hunain Shah | Riley Meredith, Rassie van der Dussen |
| Multan Sultans | Michael Bracewell, Mohammad Rizwan, Usama Mir | David Willey, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Khan | Chris Jordan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain | Akif Javed, Gudakesh Motie, Josh Little, Faisal Akram, Tayyab Tahir | Ubaid Shah, Shahid Aziz | Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Muhammad Amir Barki, Yasir Khan |
| Peshawar Zalmi | Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore | Corbin Bosch, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Ali | Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat, Nahid Rana | Arif Yaqoob, Najeebullah Zadran, Max Bryant, Mehran Mumtaz, Sufyan Moqim | Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat | Ahmed Daniyal, Alzarri Joseph |
| Quetta Gladiators | Faheem Ashraf, Finn Allen, Mark Chapman | Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Rilee Rossouw | Akeal Hosein, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Wasim Jnr | Haseebullah Khan, Khawaja Muhammad Nafay, Kyle Jamieson, Khurram Shahzad, Usman Tariq | Mohammad Zeeshan, Hasan Nawaz | Danish Aziz, Kusal Mendis, Sean Abbott, Shoaib Malik |
| Karachi Kings | David Warner, Adam Milne, Mohammad Abbas Afridi | Hasan Ali, James Vince, Khushdil Shah | Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shan Masood | Litton Das, Tim Seifert, Mir Hamza, Zahid Mehmood, Arafat Minhas | Fawad Ali, Riazullah | Kane Williamson, Mohammad Nabi, Omair Bin Yousuf, Mirza Mamoon |
| Lahore Qalandars | Daryl Mitchell, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi | Kusal Perera, Sikandar Raza, Haris Rauf | Abdullah Shafique, Jahandad Khan, Zaman Khan | Asif Ali, Asif Afridi, David Wiese, Muhammad Akhlaq, Rishad Hossain | Mohammad Azab, Momin Qamar | Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Salman Ali Mirza, Mohammad Naeem |
Also, see:
PSL 2025: Karachi Kings pick Kane Williamson in supplementary round