New Delhi: Twenty20 franchise cricket has grown from a single bold experiment in 2008 into a global industry worth tens of billions of dollars. From the IPL’s record-shattering viewership to the BBL’s family-friendly summer nights, every major cricket nation now runs its own T20 league — and new ones keep arriving. Here is how the world’s biggest T20 leagues actually compare.
The IPL: The Undisputed Giant
Founded in 2008 by the BCCI, the Indian Premier League remains the league every other competition is measured against — and none come close. Ten teams contest 74 matches across March to May each year. The numbers are staggering: the 2023–27 media rights sold for approximately ₹48,390 crore (around $6.4 billion), valuing each match at roughly $13.4 million — the second-richest per-match deal in world sport behind only the NFL.
The 2025 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings drew over 678 million viewers on JioHotstar alone, beating even the India-Pakistan clash at the Champions Trophy earlier that year. RCB’s maiden title also made them the league’s most valuable franchise at $269 million, ahead of Mumbai Indians ($242 million) and Chennai Super Kings ($235 million). The overall IPL brand value stands at $18.5 billion, per Houlihan Lokey’s 2025 valuation. The winners take home ₹20 crore (about $2.4 million), and the salary cap per team is around $18.1 million — Rishabh Pant’s ₹27 crore deal in 2025 remains the benchmark individual contract.
Big Bash League: Australia’s Summer Staple
Established in 2011, the KFC Big Bash League was the first serious rival to the IPL’s template. Eight city-based teams play through the Australian summer (December to February), and the league built its identity on family crowds, innovative broadcast features like the player-mic, and a party atmosphere. The winners’ prize is around ₹3.66 crore, with a team salary cap of roughly $2 million. Platinum overseas players such as Babar Azam can command upwards of $275,000 a season. The BBL’s best years drew cumulative audiences that made it Australia’s most-watched summer sport, though it has ceded some ground to newer leagues in the global talent market.
Pakistan Super League: Punching Above Its Weight
Founded in 2016, the PSL has built a reputation for competitive cricket and fast-bowling production despite far smaller budgets. Traditionally six teams, the league expanded and moved from a draft to an auction system for the 2026 season, with the salary cap raised to $1.6 million plus $500,000 for direct marquee signings — Steve Smith’s $500,000 direct deal headlined the change. The winners’ prize is around ₹3.40 crore. The PSL’s new 2026–29 broadcast deal, worth PKR 26.11 billion (about $93 million), was a 149% jump — though that entire four-year deal is worth less than the IPL earns from roughly seven matches.
Caribbean Premier League: The Party Stand
Launched in 2013, the CPL leans into its carnival identity — six teams, August to September, with the biggest winners’ prize outside the IPL and SA20 at around ₹8.14 crore. It has been a vital shop window for West Indian talent and a beloved stop for overseas stars who thrive in its festive crowds.
The Hundred: England’s 100-Ball Gamble
The ECB’s 100-ball competition, launched in 2021, features eight city-based teams playing through July and August. Each innings is 100 balls, with bowlers delivering sets of five. The winners’ prize is modest at around ₹1.3 crore, but the format was designed to attract new audiences — shorter games, simpler rules, and double-headers with the women’s competition.
The New Money: SA20 and ILT20
South Africa’s SA20 (launched 2023, six teams, January–February) immediately became the second-richest league by prize money — ₹15 crore for the winners — with a salary cap around $2.31 million. All six franchises are owned by IPL team owners, which guaranteed operational expertise from day one.
The UAE’s ILT20 (also 2023, six teams, January–February) offers ₹5.7 crore to the winners and a $2.5 million salary cap, with up to nine overseas players allowed per XI and tax-free contracts that make its marquee deals ($400,000–$450,000) especially attractive.
Bangladesh’s BPL (founded 2012) remains a development-focused league with a winners’ prize around ₹1.53 crore.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Prize money (winners): IPL ₹20 cr > SA20 ₹15 cr > CPL ₹8.14 cr > ILT20 ₹5.7 cr > BBL ₹3.66 cr > PSL ₹3.40 cr > BPL ₹1.53 cr > The Hundred ₹1.3 cr.
Season windows: ILT20 and SA20 (Jan–Feb), PSL (Feb–Mar), IPL (Mar–May), The Hundred (Jul–Aug), CPL (Aug–Sep), BBL (Dec–Feb).
Viewership: The IPL’s 2025 final (678 million on streaming alone) dwarfs everything else; the PSL drew roughly 150 million digital views in 2024 by comparison.
Which League Is “Best”?
By money, viewership and star power, the IPL wins every metric and it is not close — its media rights alone exceed the rest combined many times over. By pure entertainment and atmosphere, the BBL and CPL have loyal defenders. By value for money and competitive balance, the PSL and SA20 punch hard. For innovation, The Hundred’s 100-ball format remains the boldest structural experiment in the sport. The honest answer: the IPL is the industry; the rest are excellent cricket tournaments fighting for the same shrinking pool of players and calendar space.
