‘Ozi’ Group, the buyers of the most expensive team in Pakistan Super League history, have announced “Sialkot Stallions” as the name for their franchise.
Ozi Developers acquired the team during this month’s auction with a successful bid of 1.85 billion rupees, choosing the city of Sialkot to represent their franchise.
Speculation regarding the team’s name had been rife since Sialkot was selected, but the rumors were put to rest on Wednesday during a press conference held by team owner Hamza Majeed alongside co-owner Kamil Khan.
In a message released on social media, the team stated: “The wait is over, a new power is rising—Sialkot Stallions.”
On this occasion, Hamza Majeed remarked that the Sialkot team will take to the field under the historic and widely popular name “Sialkot Stallions.” He added that “Stallions” is not just a name, but the very identity of Sialkot’s cricket and a title representing a great history.
Hamza stated that this name was chosen specifically to honor the wishes of cricket fans and to preserve the traditional identity of Sialkot.
It is worth noting that a team by the name of Sialkot Stallions has participated in national T20 tournaments in the past, as well as in international T20 leagues. This team was one of the most successful sides in the history of T20 cricket in Pakistan, holding the prestigious record of winning the National T20 Cup five consecutive times.
Hamza Majeed further remarked that the return of the “Sialkot Stallions” will revitalize the excitement of the PSL. He added that details regarding player selection, as well as the team’s kit and logo, will be shared soon.
It is worth noting that the Australia-based Ozi Group has ventured into the cricket-related business for the first time. According to the group’s head, he moved to Pakistan along with his family and business two years ago.
After acquiring the Sialkot-based team in the PSL auction, Hamza Majeed stated, “I came here with the firm mindset that I had to come out as a winner.” He shared that this success is the result of nearly two and a half years of meticulous planning by his team.
Hamza remarked, “We all love the pressure of cricket, and the passion for the sport in Sialkot is unbelievable.” He further added, “The people of this city had already built their own airport and airline; now, we have gifted them a cricket team as well.”
Sialkot Stallions is one of the two new teams added to the PSL. In addition, a new team representing Hyderabad has emerged, for which a successful bid of 1.75 billion rupees was made. The FKS Group, which purchased the Hyderabad franchise, has not yet announced the name of their team.
The 11th season of the PSL will be played between March 26 and May 3, 2026, and this time, eight teams will participate instead of six.
Here is the translation of the provided text into English, detailing the expansion and financial restructuring of the PSL:
Why did the PCB add two new teams after eight years?
According to the PCB, the primary reasons for not adding new teams to the PSL for eight years were contractual and financial matters. Under the PSL’s central financial model, 95% of the league’s collective revenue is distributed among the existing six franchises, while only 5% goes to the PCB.
Because media and commercial contracts were fixed, adding new teams earlier would have reduced the revenue share for existing franchises. Although the PCB had the option to add one team before the tenth season, doing so could have adversely affected the financial interests of the current franchises.
Now, starting from the 11th season, as media and commercial contracts are being renegotiated, the PCB has decided to expand the league to eight teams, deeming this the ideal time for expansion. Aside from Multan Sultans, all other franchises remained financially profitable.
What is the current status of the existing six PSL teams?
All other PSL franchises have extended their contracts. However, Multan Sultans was the only franchise whose owner, Ali Tareen, did not seek an extension, leading the PCB to take over ownership of the team.
The PCB will manage Multan Sultans itself during the upcoming season, after which the franchise will be sold to a new buyer. This will mark the third time Multan Sultans has been put up for sale. The franchise was originally awarded to the Dubai-based real estate firm Schon Group in 2018; however, a dispute over annual fee payments arose after just one season.
The Schon Group failed to pay the $5.2 million annual fee, resulting in the termination of their contract. The PCB then reclaimed the team and re-auctioned it, where it was acquired by a consortium led by Ali Khan Tareen and his uncle, Alamgir Khan Tareen, for $6.5 million.
Over the last seven years, the Tareen family paid 7.7 billion rupees to the PCB in franchise fees. Under the new valuation, the annual franchise fee for Multan Sultans has been set at 1.375 billion rupees. According to the agreement, after the completion of 10 years of the PSL, an increase in the annual fee for all existing franchises is mandatory—amounting to either 25% of the current fee or 25% of the new market value, whichever is higher.
New Valuations of the Franchises
Here is a look at the new valuations for the other franchises:
| Franchise | New Valuation (Annual Fee) | Rank |
| Lahore Qalandars | 670 Million Rupees | Most Expensive |
| Karachi Kings | 638.7 Million Rupees | 2nd Most Expensive |
| Peshawar Zalmi | 487.5 Million Rupees | 3rd Most Expensive |
| Islamabad United | 470 Million Rupees | 4th |
| Quetta Gladiators | 359.5 Million Rupees | Lowest Valuation |
