The T20 format was introduced just for fun. The advent of this shorter format has brought in a flood of fans from all over the world and that is the reason why T20 format is now the most watched format in the world. The stupendous success of the T20 World Cup 2007 tournament paved the way for the entry of several franchise cricket leagues around the world.
Just a year after the T20 World Cup 2007, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) launched its own franchise cricket league called the Indian Premier League (IPL). Apart from this, other top countries have also started their own T20 cricket leagues, which have been quite successful. Today cricketers from all over the world are showing great interest to participate in the T20 league.
Indian Premier League (IPL) – India
IPL can easily be rated the #1 T20 franchise cricket league in the world. IPL has the highest number of participating teams as well as the highest number of editions (15 in total) held so far. IPL also offers a huge winning prize of US$16,000,000 which is very high as compared to other leagues. IPL was started in 2008.
Big Bash League (BBL) – Australia
After the Indian Premier League KFC, Big Bash League is the second most popular league in cricket. BBL matches are played in Australia during the summer in the months of December and January. It is now placed eighth in the list of most attended sports leagues in the world with respect to the average crowd per match. 8 teams gilded with international and local stars provide sensational matches for the Aussie crowd in this tournament which was first initiated in 2011.
T20 Blast – England
The T20 Blast League is a professional cricket tournament organized for English and Welsh counties under the Twnety20 (T20) format. It is the oldest and the first professional Twenty20 cricket league, established when the T20 format of cricket was introduced and previously regarded as the best cricket premier league in the world.
The league was established in the year 2003 by the England and Wales Cricket Board. As England is known as the birthplace of cricket, it did not take long for the tournament to become popular across the globe. The league has completed nineteen successful seasons starting from 2003.
Pakistan Super League (PSL) – Pakistan
The Pakistan Super Tournament (PSL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket tournament in which six teams from different Pakistani cities compete. The league began in September 2015, with only five teams competing. The way PSL is run is what sets it apart from other major cricket leagues around the world.
The Pakistan Super League has a double round-robin structure in which each team plays each other twice, and the four teams with the most points advance to the playoffs. One of the world’s top cricket leagues by revenue, the Pakistan Super League has a brand value of $240 million.
Caribbean Premier League (CPL) – West Indies
Being on the fifth position in the list, the league is regulated by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). The Indian automobile manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp is the title sponsor of the league. When the league began in 2013, Richard Branson (Virgin airlines owner) partnered to become one of the co-owners. To appeal to a larger audience, Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg was also bought on board. Broadcasting is the main source of revenue for the league with the average international audience being close to 208 million.
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) – Bangladesh
BPL is a curious league. In its early days it was beset by financial problems and match-fixing. However, after a two-year hiatus between 2013 and 2015, the BPL returned and established itself as one of the world’s premier leagues, on better pitches and with a more impressive cast of foreign players.
Since 2017/18 the BPL has moved slightly later in the calendar and now competes directly with the BBL but the private ownership model in the BPL allows it to compete and often beat the BBL by signing the world’s best players. In fact, the quality of foreign players in BPL is arguably second only to IPL in recent times.
Lanka Premier League (LPL) – Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) launched its own version of T20 league called Lanka Premier League. The T20 league was entered in the year 2020. Six teams take part in the tournament for the unversed. Since its launch, LPL has successfully completed three editions till date. The winner of the Lanka Premier League tournament receives a prize money of USD 100,000.
SA20 League – South Africa
Cricket South Africa (CSA) launched their very own franchise-based T20 tournament called the SA20 League. The Twenty20 franchise cricket tournament witnessed fans turning up in numbers to watch the carnival. For the record, it is contested by six franchises based in cities around the country. The winners of the inaugural edition of the SA20 League were Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
UAE International League T20 (ILT) – UAE
ILT20 tournament is UAE’s own franchise based T20 league which will feature 06 teams. Each team can have as many as nine overseas players whereas two places in eleven will be reserved for UAE local players which will help in developing their game. First edition of this league will take place in January 2023. Its prize money is USD 1,000,000.
Afghan Premier League – Afghanistan
Afghanistan Premier League started in 2018 but suspended operations and no edition took place since the inaugural event. Afghanistan Premier League Prize money is USD 300,000 but their irregular schedule make its last number in our list.
