• PSL expands from six teams to eight.
• Franchise auction is set for January 8.
• Inverex, VGO TEL and OZ Group apply.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is poised to expand from six to eight teams as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) completes technical evaluations of proposals submitted by interested groups, The News reported on Thursday.

The franchise auction is scheduled for January 8 at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad.

Among the confirmed bidders is the Tareen Group, led by businessman Ali Khan Tareen.

Tareen previously owned the Multan Sultans, a franchise he acquired in 2018 and helped transform into one of the PSL’s most consistent performers, winning the title in 2021 and reaching multiple finals.

However, relations between Tareen and the PCB soured over renewal terms and governance issues. He was the only owner not offered a 10-year extension, and the dispute escalated after the PCB issued a legal notice over alleged contract breaches. In late 2025, Tareen announced his exit. With his departure effective at year’s end, he is now eligible to bid for one of the new franchises.

Inverex Group, one of Pakistan’s leading renewable energy companies, has also applied for bidding rights. 

Its entry signals growing corporate interest in PSL’s expansion. Karachi-based VGO TEL, under CEO Naveed Gaba, has submitted its application as well. 

The OZ Group, chaired by Hamza Majeed, has formally entered the race, further intensifying competition.

Majeed has previously expressed his commitment to sports investment, making OZ Group a strong contender. Once successful bidders are confirmed, they will have the opportunity to select a home city from the PCB’s approved list, which includes Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, and Gilgit.

Stefanos Tsitsipas said on Thursday he seriously considered retiring from tennis in the depths of a struggle with serious back pain during much of the 2025 season.
But the former world number three, now ranked 36th after playing just two Davis Cup matches since a second-round exit at the US Open, said his ongoing medical treatment appeared to be paying dividends.
“I’m most excited to see how my actual training responds with regard to my back,” the 27-year-old said as he prepared to open his 2026 campaign for Greece at the mixed-teams United Cup in Perth, Australia.
“My biggest concern was if I could finish a match,” added the 2023 Australian Open finalist, who said the injury haunted him “for the last six or eight months”.
“I would ask: ‘Can I play another match without pain?'”
“I got really scared after the US Open loss (to Germany’s Daniel Altmaier). I could not walk for two days. That’s when you reconsider the future of your career.”
Tsitsipas said that after various medical consultations he was now satisfied with his current care plan.
“My biggest win for 2026 would be to not have to worry about finishing matches,” he said, adding that he completed five weeks of off-season training without pain.
“It makes great feedback knowing you had a pre-season without pain — I hope it stays that way. I want to deliver for 2026 and the United Cup.
“I put in the work. The most important thing is full belief that I can come back to where I was. I will try everything to do that.”
Greece have become regulars in the four-year history of the United Cup, played in Perth and Sydney, with fellow comeback hopeful Maria Sakkari, also a former world number three, joining Tsitsipas in the team.
“We are here again, with a good team and great spirit. We are prepared for war — we are Greek. We’re going big,” Tsitsipas said.
Greece are grouped with Naomi Osaka’s Japan and the Emma Raducanu-led Britain.