LAHORE: Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise formerly known as Sialkot Stallionz has been officially renamed Multan Sultans following a request from its new strategic partner and CEO, Gohar Shah of CD Ventures.

The announcement was made by PSL chief executive Salman Naseer during a press conference here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday. He was joined by the previous majority owner Hamza Majeed of OZ Group and Gohar.

Salman explained that the new partners had submitted a formal request to rebrand the team as Multan Sultans. As per PSL rules, franchises are permitted a one-time name change opportunity, subject to completion of required procedures and payment of the stipulated fee.

“The Stallions made a formal request to the PSL for the name change to Multan Sultans,” said Salman.

“After fulfilling all formalities and depositing the prescribed fee, the request has been approved.”

Salman added that the franchise, originally acquired as Sialkot Stallionz for Rs1.85 billion, has now seen its valuation rise to Rs2 billion under the new arrangement.

The development comes amid a turbulent period for the Multan Sultans identity. In December last year, the PSL had taken over the management of Multan Sultans after previous owner Ali Tareen was not offered renewal for the franchise agreement.

Subsequently, the league sold two new franchises — Hyderabad and Sialkot —for Rs1.75 billion and Rs1.85 billion respectively.

On February 9, Multan Sultans fetched a record Rs2.45 billion through an auction, acquired by Walee Technologies, who promptly rebranded and relocated it to Rawalpindi.

The move sparked concerns among fans, particularly in southern Punjab, over the loss of regional representation.

PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, present at the post-bidding event in Lahore, expressed surprise at the development and committed to addressing the regional imbalance.

Notably, had original owner Tareen retained the franchise, the valuation was reportedly set around Rs1.1 billion. The subsequent sale at Rs2.45 billion, followed by a rebrand, has now seen the Multan Sultans name re-emerge at Rs2 billion — significantly higher than Tareen’s earlier figure but below the recent auction price.

At the press conference, former owner Hamza Majeed, who retains a minority stake, struggled to articulate a clear message for Sialkot fans when questioned.

“First of all, thank you to all of them,” he said. “We will introduce special programmes for them, including free tickets and transport to watch Multan Sultans matches.

“We will keep them engaged. The entire country belongs to us, and Sialkot is very much a part of it.”

Gohar, a former first-class cricketer now serving as CEO of the rebranded Sultans, revealed that he had been keen on acquiring Multan Sultans from the outset but missed out during the initial bidding.

He outlined ambitious plans to distinguish his franchise through on-field success and celebratory traditions.

Responding to a query, Gohar said the core squad had already been finalised. However, he noted that adjustments could be made during the trade window, as per PSL regulations, which allow teams to acquire players from other franchises who remain unused after the initial rounds of the tournament.

Meanwhile, PSL chief Salman also confirmed that the full schedule for the upcoming edition of the tournament will be unveiled within the next week.

He noted that the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar remained unavailable due to incomplete preparations and will not host any matches this season.

The tournament opener is scheduled for March 26 in Lahore, where defending champions Lahore Qalandars will face new entrants Hyderabad Kingsmen. The opening ceremony will also take place at the same venue.

Salman mentioned that discussions were underway regarding the possibility of staging some PSL matches overseas in the current or upcoming editions.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2026