Top 5 Most Expensive Players of PSL

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) showcases top cricket talent with substantial price tags. This list includes prominent players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Alex Hales, and Rashid Khan, highlighting their significant impact and value in the league.

Year-wise list of the Top Most Expensive Players of PSL

Here is a year-wise list of the most expensive players of PSL teams until now. 

2024

RankPlayerTeamPrice
1Babar AzamPeshawar Zalmi$180,000
2Shaheen AfridiLahore Qalandars$175,000
3Mohammad RizwanMultan Sultans$170,000
4Rashid KhanLahore Qalandars$170,000
5Alex HalesIslamabad United$170,000

2023

RankPlayerTeamPrice
1Babar AzamPeshawar Zalmi$170,000
2Alex HalesIslamabad United$170,000
3Shadab KhanIslamabad United$170,000
4Imran TahirMultan Sultans$170,000
5Fakhar ZamanLahore Qalandars$170,000

2022

RankPlayerTeamPrice
1Babar AzamKarachi Kings$160,000
2Chris GayleQuetta Gladiators$150,000
3Rashid KhanLahore Qalandars$150,000
4Shaheen AfridiLahore Qalandars$150,000
5Mohammad RizwanMultan Sultans$150,000

2021

RankPlayerTeamPrice
1Babar AzamKarachi Kings$150,000
2Chris GayleQuetta Gladiators$140,000
3Rashid KhanLahore Qalandars$140,000
4Shaheen AfridiLahore Qalandars$140,000
5Mohammad RizwanMultan Sultans$140,000

2020

RankPlayerTeamPrice
1Babar AzamKarachi Kings$140,000
2Chris GayleQuetta Gladiators$130,000
3Rashid KhanLahore Qalandars$130,000
4Shaheen AfridiLahore Qalandars$130,000
5Mohammad RizwanMultan Sultans$130,000

Most Expensive Player of PSL 1 

Darren Sammy

Started his PSL career by being a player of Peshawar Zalmi; Daren Sammy was the highest-paid player of the inaugural season of PSL and came in the most prominent Top 5 Most Expensive Players of PSL. He was placed in the Platinum category of the PSL 2016 players’ draft. His total amount is estimated to be $170,000 for representing Peshawar Zalmi. His performance is power packed on the ground, and his PSL stats are glorified with his bowling and batting skills. 

Most Expensive player of PSL 2

Shoaib Malik 

The former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Shoaib Malik, has a phenomenal PSL career and is the brightest one from the Top 5 Most Expensive Players of PSL. So far, he has represented three teams in the Pakistan Super League. In 2017, in PSL season 2, he was the most-paid player representing Karachi Kings. He scored in the crucial matches and ended the second season as the 3rd highest run-scorer in the tournament.

Most Expensive Player of PSL 3

Misbah-ul-Haq

The Mianwali-born cricketer Misbah-ul-Haq made a good reputation since the inaugural season of PSL. He was appointed in the Platinum category for Islamabad United. In the third season, he was ranked as the most expensive player of PSL 3. He charged $170,000 for playing in the third season of the PSL. 

Most Expensive Player of PSL 4

Colin Ingram

One of the finest players in South Africa, Colin Ingram, played for Islamabad United in PSL 4. He is considered the most dangerous player in cricket history and is ranked in the PSL platinum players category earning the highest salary that season. In PSL 2019, he celebrated his century in the Karachi Kings vs Quetta Gladiators match. 

Most Expensive Player of PSL 5

Shahid Afridi

One of the greatest all-rounders of all time, Shahid Khan Afridi, is the best Pakistani bowler and former Pakistan cricket team captain. He has been the most desirable player for PSL 5, representing Multan Sultans, and was the most expensive player that season. Afridi is also known as Boom Boom or Lala in Pakistan. 

Most Expensive player of PSL 6

Chris Gayle

Playing for Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2021, Chris Gayle returned to form as he scored a rapid 68 against Lahore Qalandars. He brought up his 86th T20 fifty and, in doing so, created a significant world record in the shortest form of the game. Despite his batting heroics, Gayle ended up on the losing side as the Quetta Gladiators succumbed to their second successive defeat in the tournament.

Babar Azam

One of the crucial players for Karachi Kings in PSL 2021, Babar Azam holds the record for scoring the most runs in PSL 6. He was the most-paid player of PSL 6 by being placed in the platinum category.

Most Expensive Player of PSL 7 

Sarfraz Ahmed

Sarfraz Ahmed is the captain of the Pakistan international team. In PSL 2022 Top 10 Expensive Players, his name is included. He plays for Quetta Gladiators. He is an experienced wicketkeeper and a right-handed batsman. His role in the team is as a wicketkeeper and Middle-order batsman.

PSL Players Category Contracts

PCB and team franchises have finalized the PSL 2024 draft for player selection, which will be announced at the end of December. Each player participating in the PSL 2024 is categorized according to their “value.” PCB offers five types of contracts to the PSL player. 

From Platinum-class players at the top end to Emerging-class players at the bottom, the player’s salary is determined by their category. Teams pick supplementary players but are not paid unless they join the squad for the tournament. 

Franchises can buy back a maximum of one player released on the draft day by paying the respective fee against each category. Players of the same categories get paid equal amounts regardless of their stature in the cricketing world.

  • Platinum ($130,000-$170,000)
  • Diamond ($60,000-$80,000)
  • Gold ($40,000-$50,000)
  • Silver ($15,000-$25,000)
  • Emerging ($7,500)
  • Supplementary ($50,000)

More than 425 players from 32 countries are registered for the draft of the eighth edition of PSL. For the emerging category, players should be under 23.

ContractPSL Salary Notes
Platinum2,30,44,000 (PKR)$170,000Each team can pick three players from this category
Diamond1,15,22,000 (PKR)$80,000Teams can choose three players from this category
Gold82,30,000 (PKR)$50,000A total of 3 players can be taken from this category as well
Silver41,15,000 (PKR)$25000Franchises can choose five players from this category
Emerging16,46,000 (PKR)$7,500Each franchise can sign up to 2 emerging players

Platinum

Platinum is the premium category in the Pakistan Super League. It includes the PSL Auction’s highest-paid players in the league. This category of players, like all others, earns the same amount of money, which is, in this case, 170.000 USD. 

Each team can pick only three players from this category when drafting. This category also includes all the star players in the league and the world. During the 2024 draft, 18 players from this class were selected.

PlayersTeamsSalary (PKR)
Kieron PollardPeshawar Zalmi2,30,44,000
Babar AzamKarachi Kings2,30,44,000
Dale SteynIslamabad United2,30,44,000
Colin IngramIslamabad United2,30,44,000
Muhammad HafeezLahore Qalandars2,30,44,000
Mohammad AmirKarachi Kings2,30,44,000
Wahab RiazPeshawar Zalmi2,30,44,000
Hassan RazaPeshawar Zalmi2,30,44,000
Chris LynnLahore Qalandars2,30,44,000
Sarfaraz AhmedQuetta Gladiators2,30,44,000

Diamond

Diamond is the second most expansive category of players in the league. Each player from this category earns 85.000 USD. Each franchise can pick up to three players in this category. 

This is the second-best category of players in the league. A total of 20 players have been in this category during the latest draft of PSL 2024.

PlayersTeamsSalary (PKR)
Faheem AshrafIslamabad United1,15,22,000
Asif AliIslamabad United1,15,22,000
Imad WasimKarachi Kings1,15,22,000
Iftikhar AhmedKarachi Kings1,15,22,000
David WieseLahore Qalandars1,15,22,000
Shaheen AfridiLahore Qalandars1,15,22,000
Usman ShinwariLahore Qalandars1,15,22,000
Shahid AfridiMultan Sultans1,15,22,000
Kamran AkmalPeshawar Zalmi1,15,22,000
Shane WatsonQuetta Gladiators1,15,22,000

Gold

The third salary category on this list is reserved for the Gold players. Same as was the case with the previous two categories, each franchise has the right to pick up to three players in the category, but in the latest draft, Lahore Qalandars get an extra in the replacement round.

Every player in this category gets a 50.000 USD salary, and the category has many of the top players worldwide, including Alex Hales and Shahid Afridi. During the latest draft, 19 players, including five foreigners and fourteen locals, are selected in this category.

PlayerTeamSalary (PKR)
Luke RonchiIslamabad United82,30,000
Hussain TalatIslamabad United82,30,000
Aamer YaminKarachi Kings82,30,000
Sohail AkhtarLahore Qalandars82,30,000
Haris RaufLahore Qalandars82,30,000
James VinceMultan Sultans82,30,000
Junaid KhanMultan Sultans82,30,000
Darren SammyPeshawar Zalmi82,30,000
Imam-ul HaqPeshawar Zalmi82,30,000
Umer AkmalQuetta Gladiators82,30,000

Silver

Silver is the second least expensive category in the Pakistan Super League.

In this category, each player earns 25.000 USD. The category includes all the remaining above-average players in the league.

During the latest PSL draft, a total of 40 players were selected in this category, and out of these 40, 13 players are from foreign countries, and the remaining are local.

PlayerTeamSalary
Ammad ButtIslamabad United41,15,000
Rizwan HussainIslamabad United41,15,000
Mohammad MusaIslamabad United41,15,000
Usama MirKarachi Kings41,15,000
Salman ButtLahore Qalandars41,15,000
Shan MasoodMultan Sultans41,15,000
Ali ShafiqMultan Sultans41,15,000
Umar AminPeshawar Zalmi41,15,000
Naseem ShahQuetta Gladiators41,15,000
Ahsan AliQuetta Gladiators41,15,000

Emerging Players

Emerging is the last and the least expensive category of the players in the PSL. Each player from this tier earns 7.500 USD, a category created to bring the rising talent of the league some earnings and provide them with more opportunities. 

According to the PSL draft rules, each franchise in the league must pick at least two players from this category, and during the latest draft, 16 players were selected and were rookies in the league during the last season.

Player NameTeamSalary (USD)
Faisal AkramKarachi Kings$7,500
Qasim AkramKarachi Kings$7,500
Mohammad Taha KhanKarachi Kings$7,500
Mubasir KhanIslamabad United$7,500
Zeeshan ZameerIslamabad United$7,500
Mohammad HurairaIslamabad United$7,500
Zaman KhanLahore Qalandars$7,500
Maaz KhanLahore Qalandars$7,500
Muhammad Ashar QureshiQuetta Gladiators$7,500
Abdul Wahid BangalzaiQuetta Gladiators$7,500
Ghulam MudassarQuetta Gladiators$7,500
SirajuddinPeshawar Zalmi$7,500
Muhammad Amir KhanPeshawar Zalmi$7,500
Mohammad UmerPeshawar Zalmi$7,500
Abbas AfridiMultan Sultan$7,500
Amir AzmatMultan Sultan$7,500

Frequently Asked Questions

Which team is more expensive in the PSL?

PSL consists of 6 teams representing six cities and cultures of Pakistan. Every team in PSL is valuable according to their performance. Multan Sultans was bought by Schön Properties for a price of US$5.2 million per year, becoming the most expensive team of the PSL.

How much is the salary of PSL?

PSL offers salaries to the players according to the categories; they fall into. PCB has declared five categories for player selection and for determining their salary.

The platinum category ranges between $130,000-170,000. The diamond category ranges between $70,000-85,000. The gold category ranges between $40,000-50,000. The silver category ranges between $15,000-25,000. 

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