A clear trend has emerged in recent seasons where several overseas stars have pulled out of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) to join the Indian Premier League (IPL), and PSL 11 versus IPL 2026 has taken this to a new level. From Blessing Muzarabani and Dasun Shanaka this year to Corbin Bosch and others last year, a growing group of players have chosen IPL contracts ahead of their PSL deals.
Background of the PSL–IPL clash
The problem for the PSL has grown sharper because of the crowded T20 calendar in 2026. The T20 World Cup took place in February and early March, which forced the PSL 11 window into late March and April, right when IPL 2026 is also scheduled. As a result, PSL 11 is set to begin on March 26, while IPL 2026 starts just two days later on March 28, leading to a direct overlap between the two major T20 leagues.
When two tournaments run almost at the same time, most overseas players have to choose one competition instead of trying to play both. Reports from Pakistan and India note that, in such a clash, IPL remains the first choice for many top names, with PSL often becoming a back‑up option if they go unsold or are free during that period. This season, that timing clash has directly influenced several withdrawals from PSL 11 in favour of IPL 2026 deals.
Blessing Muzarabani: Islamabad United to KKR
Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani is one of the biggest names to move from PSL 11 to IPL 2026. Islamabad United had signed him for the 2026 PSL after he was brought in as a replacement for West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph in the first-ever PSL auction. However, soon after securing that PSL deal, he received an offer from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who needed a replacement for Bangladesh left‑armer Mustafizur Rahman ahead of IPL 2026.
Muzarabani chose the IPL route and joined KKR, which meant he had to withdraw from his PSL 11 contract with Islamabad United. Indian reports describe this as part of a larger pattern of players “quitting PSL for IPL” as the two leagues go head‑to‑head in the same window. Pakistani media, meanwhile, highlighted how the PSL is losing some of its overseas recruits at the last moment, adding extra strain on teams that had built their squads around these signings.
Detailed list of players who have left PSL to join IPL places Muzarabani among the central examples of this trend. It notes that Islamabad United bought him specifically for PSL 2026, only for him to leave when KKR came calling, with the IPL side looking for a proven new‑ball and death‑overs option after Mustafizur’s exit. The same report also points out that Muzarabani arrived in India on the back of a strong T20 World Cup 2026, where he finished as the second‑highest wicket‑taker with 13 wickets, which helped raise his value in the franchise market.
Dasun Shanaka: Lahore Qalandars to Rajasthan Royals
Sri Lanka T20I captain Dasun Shanaka is another high‑profile name who has turned down PSL 11 to make room for an IPL 2026 opportunity. Lahore Qalandars had signed Shanaka for PSL 11 on a contract worth 75 lakh rupees for the 2026 season. However, reports from several media outlets confirm that Shanaka pulled out of PSL 11 after he was lined up as a replacement for England all‑rounder Sam Curran at Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026.
Shanaka went unsold at the IPL 2026 mini‑auction despite listing himself at a base price of 75 lakh rupees, but his name came back into the picture once Curran was ruled out with a groin injury. The official IPL statement, quoted in multiple outlets, confirmed that RR signed Shanaka for 2 crore rupees as Curran’s replacement, giving the Sri Lankan star a much bigger IPL deal than his PSL contract.
Shanaka has often been called up by IPL sides as an injury replacement, pointing to his earlier stints with Gujarat Titans in 2023 and again being in the wider conversation in 2025. According to the same report, he “ditched PSL despite being picked by Lahore Qalandars” once the RR offer became concrete, making him the latest addition to the list of players who chose IPL over PSL.
Gudakesh Motie’s PSL exit amid travel issues
West Indies left‑arm spinner Gudakesh Motie’s case is slightly different, but his withdrawal from PSL 11 still fits into this broader narrative of overseas players dropping out of the Pakistani league. Motie was picked up by Lahore Qalandars for PSL 11 for a fee of PKR 1.10 crore in the first-ever PSL auction. However, after the T20 World Cup 2026 in India, he was stuck in the country for around ten days because of airspace and travel disruptions linked to the conflict in West Asia.
According to reports based on ESPNcricinfo, Motie eventually decided to withdraw from the PSL rather than travel into Pakistan in the middle of that uncertain situation. He was later replaced in the Qalandars squad by Sri Lanka left‑arm spinner Dunith Wellalage, which forced the defending champions to rework their spin plans close to the start of the season. Some reports in India and Pakistan have also suggested that Motie could still be on the radar of IPL teams for 2026, underlining how players who skip PSL often remain in the IPL market, even if no official deal has been confirmed yet.
Spencer Johnson turns down Quetta Gladiators for CSK
Australian left‑arm pacer Spencer Johnson is one of the most recent examples of a direct PSL‑to‑IPL switch ahead of IPL 2026. Quetta Gladiators had signed him for PSL 11 on a contract valued at PKR 56 million (around 18.7 million Indian rupees), making him one of their top overseas bowling picks for the season. But before the tournament began, Johnson pulled out of PSL 11, initially citing personal reasons for his withdrawal from the Quetta deal.
Soon after he exited the PSL, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) announced that they had signed Johnson as a replacement for fellow Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis, who had been ruled out of IPL 2026 because of a hamstring injury. An official IPL statement confirmed that Johnson would join CSK for 1.5 crore rupees, a figure that is actually lower than his Quetta contract on paper but still came with the pull of representing a five‑time IPL champion.
Indian media highlighted Johnson’s choice as a clear sign of player preference for IPL over PSL, even when the PSL offer is higher. One detailed report described how Johnson “opts to compete in IPL 2026 with CSK over PSL despite a higher salary,” stressing that he chose the IPL platform even though the PSL contract was worth about 3.7 million rupees more. Johnson brings experience from earlier IPL seasons with Gujarat Titans in 2024 and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2025, where he played a combined nine matches, which likely made him a natural fit for CSK once Ellis was injured.
Corbin Bosch and the PSL 10 to IPL 2025 switch
The roots of this trend go back at least to PSL 10 and IPL 2025, when South African all‑rounder Corbin Bosch made headlines for leaving his PSL team to join Mumbai Indians. Bosch had been picked in the Diamond category by Peshawar Zalmi for PSL 10, which was scheduled for April 2025. However, with the PSL dates clashing with IPL 2025, he chose to terminate his PSL contract after Mumbai Indians offered him a spot as a replacement for injured pacer Lizaad Williams.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reacted strongly to Bosch’s decision. ESPNcricinfo and other outlets report that the PCB banned him from the PSL for one year as a penalty for withdrawing from the league after being drafted. The ban ruled him out of the 11th edition of the PSL in 2026 as well, as the board wanted to send a strong message to other players about switching to IPL after committing to PSL. Bosch later issued a public apology through the PCB, saying he regretted his decision but also pointing out, in other reports, that linking up with Mumbai Indians and their sister franchises was a major career move.
Other players who left PSL for IPL in 2025
Corbin Bosch was not alone in 2025. Sri Lanka batter Kusal Mendis, Australian all‑rounder Mitchell Owen, and New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson also ended up choosing IPL roles ahead of returning to finish their PSL 2025 commitments.
Mendis had been playing for Quetta Gladiators in PSL 2025 before the tournament was suspended due to the India‑Pakistan war, but when the league resumed he decided not to go back to Pakistan, citing safety reasons. Instead, he joined Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025 as a replacement for Jos Buttler, who missed the final phase of the season, including the playoffs, because of international duties.
Mitchell Owen also chose not to return to PSL once the league restarted. He had already been in line to join Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 as cover for Glenn Maxwell and, after the suspension and resumption of PSL 2025, he went straight into the IPL rather than completing his PSL stint. Jamieson took a similar route, honouring his prior agreement with Punjab Kings and replacing Lockie Ferguson, then playing through the playoffs, including the final, instead of going back to PSL.
These 2025 cases help explain why there was already tension between PSL organisers and certain overseas players even before the PSL 11 and IPL 2026 clash. Together with Bosch, the decisions by Mendis, Owen, and Jamieson showed that players were ready to walk away from PSL mid‑season or after a break if a solid IPL opportunity was available.
Growing pattern of PSL to IPL switches
By March 2026, multiple outlets in India and Pakistan have compiled lists of players who have “quit PSL for IPL,” underlining how common such moves have become in the last two seasons. NDTV’s overview of the issue groups Bosch’s 2025 move with the 2026 exits of Muzarabani and Shanaka, highlighting how PSL 2025 and PSL 11 have both lost key overseas names to the IPL.
These developments have left the PSL dealing with late withdrawals, emergency replacements, and even bans and legal threats, while IPL franchises continue to benefit from a steady supply of overseas talent ready to switch over when windows clash.
The post Full List of Players Who Left PSL 11 to Join IPL 2026 appeared first on Sportzcraazy.
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