T20 cricket tournaments have become a rage since the late 2000s. Although the T20 Blast was the first T20 league in the world, started in England in 2003, it was soon overshadowed by the glitz and the glamour of the Indian Premier League. The IPL truly revolutionized the sport ever since its inception in 2008. It married cricket and entertainment in a way never seen before and is still continuing strong as one of the biggest sporting tournaments in the world, let alone cricket. Debates of IPL vs PSL have become a common talking point since the PSL was founded in Asia in 2015.
Capitalizing on the popularity and revenue that the IPL was bringing to the BCCI, Cricket Australia also jumped in on the opportunity and decided to start the Big Bash League in 2011. It drew plenty of supporters to the seats and also tried to innovate T20 cricket in several ways. The formula soon became a success and many other countries tried to repeat it.
The Caribbean Premier League was founded in 2013 and the Pakistan Cricket Board also got in on the act by launching the Pakistan Super League in 2015. Ever since its inception, the PSL became an instant hit. It has seen six different winners in seven seasons and has become the biggest T20 league in the subcontinent after the IPL.
While both IPL and PSL are a platform for domestic and overseas cricketers to wow a global audience with their impressive range of skills and abilities, there are plenty of differences between the two leagues. Former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria thinks that compared to the IPL, the PSL is ‘unprofessional’ and the IPL is the best platform for young talents.
Let’s discuss the differences between the two leagues below:
IPL vs PSL
The Origin
IPL: The IPL is a professional men’s T20 cricket league that was founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on September 13, 2007. The IPL effort was spearheaded by then BCCI Vice-President Lalit Modi on the back of the success of the Indian national team in the T20 World Cup. In order to decide the owners of the teams in the new league, an IPL auction was held on January 24, 2008 with the total base prices of the franchises costing around $400 million. The first-ever IPL match was played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 18, 2008.
PSL: After several years of planning and two previous failed attempts, the Pakistan Cricket Board officially announced the launch of the PSL in September 2015. The commercial rights to the initial franchises were sold for US$93 million for a span of 10 years in December 2015. Former Pakistan national team captains Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raza became the ambassadors of the league for a period of three years and the first PSL match was held on February 4, 2016 in the United Arab Emirates.
The Formats of IPL and PSL
IPL: The IPL featured eight teams up until last year: Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals. Two new teams – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – have been added this year, thus making it an expanded 10-team league.
The teams play each other in the league stage multiple times before the top four teams make it to the playoffs. The top two sides get two opportunities to make it to the final in Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 while the third and fourth-ranked sides have to win at least two matches in order to book their tickets to the final.
PSL: The PSL began with five teams in 2016: Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators. Multan Sultans joined the league in its third season to make it a six-team league.
The PSL is also played in a double round-robin format where each side faces off the other team twice during the league stage. The top four teams advance to the playoffs which are held in the same way as the Indian Premier League.
IPL vs PSL Earnings Comparison
IPL: The winner of IPL 2024 will earn INR 20 crore. It is the only league in the world to have prize money greater than INR 10 crore for the winning side.
PSL: PSL 2023 winners (Lahore Qalandars) received nearly INR 3.4 crore whereas the runners-up (Multan Sultans) got approximately INR 1.5 crore.
Also read – PSL Winners List and Runner Up List | PSL 2022 | Karachi | Multan (mpl.live)
Players salary
IPL: The Indian Premier League has always been cricket’s biggest extravaganza. There’s a reason why BCCI doesn’t allow Indian players play in any other global T20 leagues. That is because the money in the IPL more than compensates for it. Even Shivam Mavi, who got sold for INR 7.25 during the IPL 2022 mega auction earned more than double the prize money that Lahore Qalandars received for winning PSL 2022. Mitchell starc is the hughest paid player this season after Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for INR 22.50 crores.
PSL: In PSL 2023, players in the platinum category earned a maximum of USD 170,000 which comes to nearly INR 1.27 crore. Top players in the PSL like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Kieron Pollard fall in the platinum category.
Team Purse
IPL: Over INR 500 crore was spent by the 10 teams during the two-day IPL 2022 mega auction. The total purse for the 10 teams going into the IPL auction was a whopping INR 561.5 crore.
PSL: The PSL still works on a draft system, and as such, there are no teams purses involved.
Individual awards
IPL: The Indian Premier League gives out several important individual awards. The Orange Cap is won by the highest-scoring player in the tournament while the player with the most wickets wins the Purple Cap. The Most Valuable Player award is also given out to the player who has made the biggest difference in the league.
The Orange Cap winner, Purple Cap winner as well as the Most Valuable Player in the Indian Premier League all earn INR 10 lakhs respectively.
PSL: The Pakistan Super League also has prize money for the highest-scorer, the top wicket-taker as well as the Player of the tournament. While the top-scorer and highest wicket-taker earn INR 3.75 lakhs each, the player of the tournament makes nearly INR 14.1 lakh which is more than the IPL prize money for Most Valuable Player.
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FAQs
What is the PSL budget for 2024?
Lahore Qalandars, who won PSL 2023 have received PKR 80 million (INR 3.40 crore approximately). The runners-up received prize money of nearly INR 1.5 crore. The sponsorship amount for the Pakistan Super League in the 2022-2025 cycle was to the tune of PKR 391.7 Crore (US$22.2 Million). Habib Bank Limited (HBL) retained the title of the main sponsor until 2025, a deal of around PKR 3.5 billion.
“HBL Pakistan Super League 7 profits jumped to 71 percent, the most in its history, with each franchise earning around PKR 900 million, again the most in HBL PSL’s history, and all before the first ball was even bowled,” said Ramiz Raja following the conclusion of the most recent season.
What was the PSL viewership in 2020?
PSL 2021 had an estimated viewership of nearly 57.6 million in 2020.
What is PSL’s viewership in India like?
After Pakistan, the second-highest viewership of PSL is in India. It has become the second-most viewed T20 league in the world. PSL 7 was reportedly watched by 144 million people on television in Pakistan.
