IPL vs PSL – Which Is The Better T20 Franchise League?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL) have faced comparisons among each other by cricketers, cricket pundits, and fans in general. While there are many differences between the two leagues, IPL has emerged as the best in the business, with over crores of revenue generated in just two months. Apart from this, there are basic differences between the teams, players, and the quality of cricket played in both leagues. In this article, we’ll decode both the tournaments and see which one is a better franchise league.
IPL vs PSL Comparison
This section consists of the comparison between IPL and PSL to end the debate once and for all. So, dive into the article to get interesting insights about the two famous leagues IPL vs PSL in the world.
1. Foundation Year
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is an eighteen-year-old tournament established in 2008. The actual brainstorming process started in 2006, but it took two years for the tournament to come into existence. The first season itself was a grand success, which led to more and more seasons.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) came into existence in 2015. This will be the tenth season of the league. PSL was founded by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The Indian players aren’t a part of this tournament, but other players from all over the world participate.
2. Number Of Seasons
The IPL 2025 is scheduled for March 22 and is the 18th season. The first game is between the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
On the other hand, the 10th season of the PSL is scheduled for April 11. The first game will be between Islamabad United and the Lahore Qalandars.
3. Number Of Teams
There are ten teams who participate in the IPL.
- Royal Challengers Bangalore
- Mumbai Indians
- Chennai Super Kings
- Rajasthan Royals
- Gujarat Titans
- Kolkata Knight Riders
- Delhi Capitals
- Punjab Kings
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Lucknow Super Giant
Six teams take part in the PSL.
- Islamabad United
- Multan Sultans
- Quetta Gladiators
- Peshawar Zalmi
- Karachi Kings
- Lahore Qalandars
4. Most Successful Batter And Bowler
The most successful batter of the IPL is Virat Kohli, who has scored 8,004 runs in the tournament, while the best bowler is Yuzvendra Chahal, who has scalped 205 wickets.
When it comes to the PSL, Babar Azam is the highest run-scorer with 3,504 runs. Moreover, Wahab Riaz has taken 113 wickets in the tournament.
5. Most Successful Teams
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) are the two most successful teams in the tournament, each with five trophies in 17 seasons in the IPL. Under captain MS Dhoni, CSK won in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023. Those were some of the most glorious years in the history of MS Dhoni’s career. Rohit Sharma led MI to five trophies: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Since then, MI hasn’t been able to win the title anymore.
On the other hand, Islamabad United has three titles in the PSL. It was Misbah-ul-Haq who led them to their first title in 2016, followed by JP Duminy in 2018 and Shadab Khan in 2024.
Also Read: Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Who is the Real King of Cricket?
6. Prize Distribution In IPL And PSL
The IPL is a cash-rich tournament, so the teams get a heavy amount after lifting the trophy, which is then distributed among all the members of the team. The prize distribution of the previous season is mentioned below.
- Winners: ₹20 crore (≈ $2.42 million)
- Runners-up: ₹12.5 crore (≈ $1.43 million)
- Third place: ₹7 crore (≈ $846,000)
- Fourth place: ₹6.5 crore (≈ $785,000)
PSL is not that rich when it comes to revenue, and unlike the IPL, the winning teams aren’t paid much. The prize distribution is mentioned below.
- Winners: ₹ 4.13 crore
- Runners-up: ₹ 1.65 crore
7. Most Expensive Player
The IPL saw a huge hike in the salary of the most expensive player in this season. The auction table went crazy for the star wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant, who went for a whopping amount of INR 27 crores to Lucknow Super Giants. This amount made him the highest-paid cricketer in the history of the tournament.
The PSL doesn’t have an auction, but the buys happen in a draft system where players are clubbed into different categories, and an amount is associated with that. The highest-paying Platinum category offers a maximum salary of USD 300,000 for the 2025 season. There are some players who have done well in the past and are placed under this category.
8. Viewership And Media Rights
Without a doubt, IPL is way above PSL when it comes to viewership and media rights. In the previous season of the IPL, the viewership went to 620 million on JioCinema (Viacom18), marking a 38% increase from the previous year. The TV rights are with Star Sports, who accumulated 510 million viewers in the first 51 matches. These numbers are beyond excellence, and this is the reason why the IPL is ahead in the revenue game.
Coming to PSL, the tournament got just 150 million views in 2024. This number is way less than that of the IPL. For the tenth season, PSL’s media rights are with A Sports and Walee Technologies. It will be interesting to see how the PSL season will go since the dates are colliding with the IPL.
Indian Premier League vs Pakistan Super League- Which is better?
After looking at all the points, in all fairness, it’s pretty much evident that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is much bigger than the Pakistan Super League (PSL). It will take a lot of time for PSL to get as established as IPL is. The players who mostly go unsold in the IPL play in the PSL. This might be one of the main reasons for the decrease in viewership. Plus, PCB’s consistent urge to compete with the IPL is taking the league nowhere.
Now that the PSL is starting on April 11, when the IPL will be mid-way, the viewership will go down drastically. Just like how Pakistan players aren’t playing the IPL, the Indian players aren’t allowed to play the PSL. Hence, it will surely be interesting to watch the fans and former Pakistan players make blatant statements related to the IPL on the upcoming dates.
