The Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise owners are faced with a huge dilemma over signing some of the high-profile overseas players who went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction recently.

The PSL 2025 is set to be played from April 8 to May 19 and will clash with the IPL 2025 season. And big names include David Warner, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Jonny Bairstow. Adil Rashid, for example, would be free of international duties for the IPL season, which runs from April to May.

This means the PSL team owners would want to lure these players to ensure that PSL 2025 also finds proper coverage and publicity when it takes on the IPL next year.

However, as per reports, while the six franchise owners were eager to sign some of the high-profile players available following the IPL auction, the salary cap of USD 200,000 for participants in the PSL player draft made the situation challenging.

"But the problem is that the players' draft scheduled on January 11 time is running out to find a formula to sign on high profile players and also ensure a sense of disparity doesn't develop among players in the PSL," said a source to PTI.

They clarified that the PCB and franchise owners knew it was improbable that the majority of the well-known players who were unsold in the IPL would sign for less than USD 200,000.

"The PSL's new CEO, Salman Naseer has even suggested that the franchise owners directly talk to the players' agents so that the PCB is not involved in negotiations,” he added.

According to the source, some franchise owners were hesitant to pay players more than the PSL wage maximum and were concerned that if a team signed a well-known player at a higher salary, other players, particularly local ones, would be unsatisfied.

According to another franchise source, agents of unsold IPL players have already contacted several clubs to inquire about possible exchanges.

"Some franchises are also opposing bypassing the draft and insist that all major players should be part of it,” the source said.