Pakistan Super League franchise renamed as Multan Sultans after ownership shift

In a significant development ahead of the upcoming season of the Pakistan Super League, the franchise formerly known as Sialkot Stallionz has officially been renamed Multan Sultans under new management, league CEO Salman Naseer announced on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Naseer confirmed that the request for the name change was submitted by the franchise’s newly appointed CEO, Gohar Shah, and has been formally approved by the league administration.

According to Naseer, securing the name “Multan Sultans” was Shah’s first move after assuming charge. The PSL chief revealed that the name had not been available during the franchise auction process earlier this year.

“You saw him amongst other bidders at the team auction for the Multan Sultans,” Naseer said. “There was a lot of desire and passion. I think Gohar was the most disappointed when he couldn’t get the team at that time.”

He further explained that PSL auction regulations allow franchise owners to request name changes, including names outside the initially listed six options, subject to league approval and licensing conditions. At the time of the auction, Multan was unavailable, prompting the group to initially adopt the Sialkot identity.

“As soon as Shah came in as CEO, he applied for the name change. We discussed the terms and conditions, including the one-time licence fee, and the request has now been granted,” Naseer added.

The PSL CEO also announced a financial revision, confirming that the franchise’s annual fee has been increased from Rs1.85 billion to Rs2 billion following the restructuring.

Expressing his satisfaction, Gohar Shah said the return of Multan’s identity ensures south Punjab once again has representation in the league.

“We were wondering how a stallion could defeat the HBL PSL alone,” Shah remarked light-heartedly. “A stallion needs a sultan.”

Earlier this year, OZ Developers had secured the Sialkot franchise with a record-breaking Rs1.85 billion bid during the PSL auction in January — the highest ever for a team in league history. The latest rebranding marks a new chapter for the franchise as it aims to establish itself under the revived Multan Sultans banner.