Comparing IPL and PSL – Is IPL Better Than PSL?

In the world of T20 cricket, the Indian Premier League is one of the most financially successful franchise-based competitions. Other tournaments, like BBL and CPL, are attempting to compete as well. On the other hand, there is also PSL, which is constantly fighting to be regarded as the best T20-based league in the world. PSL, at some point, will be able to catch up to IPL in terms of greatness, as it is the benchmark for greatness. Therefore, PSL is a better cricket league than IPL for a number of reasons.

IPL vs PSL League Comparison:

Sachin Tendulkar is one of the greatest batsmen of all time, no doubt about it! But do you know he even got the top spot in Wisden’s list this year? Now, if we talk about the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL), it becomes an interesting debate. Which one is better?

In short, IPL is bigger and better than PSL. With more teams, a higher budget, and more experienced players, IPL has gained popularity worldwide. But that’s not all! In this article, we will dig deeper into IPL vs PSL League Comparison to find out the reasons why IPL is dominating the cricketing world.

But these are not the only factors that determine which one is better. There are various other aspects, such as viewership, revenue, and match quality, that play a significant role. To help us understand this better, we have consulted various cricket experts, including Aakash Chopra, Harsha Bhogle, and Wasim Akram. So, without any further ado, let’s dive into the world of IPL vs PSL and figure out which one is the ultimate cricket league.

Why IPL is the Best League?

Obviously, the IPL is the most popular T20 tournament in the world and obviously, it is more popular than the PSL.

The main reasons for this popularity are :

1. There are many popular franchises in the Indian Premier League such as RCB, Mumbai Indians, CSK and KKR.
2. Many star players such as MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, etc..
3. This game offers a large amount of money which attracts players from all over the world.
4. There are a lot of passionate cricket fans in India as well as outside the country as well.
5. Chinnaswamy, Wankede, and Eden Gardens are places where you can’t even talk to your friend sitting next to you due to the noise caused by the crowd.

The PSL budget versus the IPL budget

The PSL Budget:

The PSL was launched in 2015 and has rapidly gained popularity among cricket fans across the world. The league is owned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and consists of six franchises representing different cities in Pakistan. The total budget for PSL 2021 was set at PKR 1.2 billion ($7.7 million). Each franchise was allowed to spend a maximum of PKR 90 million ($573,000) on player salaries, and the remaining budget was allocated for other expenses such as team management, branding, and marketing.

The IPL Budget:

The IPL, on the other hand, is the biggest T20 league in the world and is owned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The league was launched in 2008 and consists of eight franchises representing different cities in India. The total budget for IPL 2021 was set at INR 14.95 billion ($200 million). Each franchise was allowed to spend a maximum of INR 850 million ($11.4 million) on player salaries, and the remaining budget was allocated for other expenses such as team management, branding, and marketing.

Comparison of PSL and IPL Budgets:

There is a significant difference between the budgets of the PSL and IPL. The IPL has a much larger budget than the PSL, which allows franchises to recruit some of the best players in the world. The maximum salary cap for the IPL is also much higher than that of the PSL, which means that players can earn more money by playing in the IPL. However, the PSL has made significant progress over the years, and its budget has increased significantly since its inception.

How Budgets Impact the Quality of the Leagues:

The budget of a league plays a crucial role in determining the quality of players that can be recruited by the franchises. The IPL’s larger budget allows franchises to recruit some of the best players in the world, which improves the overall quality of the league. The PSL, on the other hand, has to rely on local talent and a few foreign players who are willing to play for a lower salary. However, the PSL has been successful in discovering new talent and providing them with a platform to showcase their skills.

Reasons Why PSL Is Better Than IPL

Open Trials System

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is not dependent on the open trial system, although they have achieved success by utilizing talent scouts, in comparison, the open trial system has proven to be more effective. As a result, Pakistan’s league is better suited to finding raw talent.

Quality of Pace Bowling

When we talk about PSL being better than IPL, one of the biggest factors that make it different from IPL is the quality of the local pace bowlers. The local talent comes from the open trials that make it possible in the global stage of PSL. PSL has produced pace bowlers who have gone on to do well in the global tournaments over the past few years.

Moreover, we can say that Pakistan Super League is far better at grooming local fast bowlers than IPL.

Length of the Tournament

There is a big reason why the PSL is better than the IPL and that is the length of the tournament. The excitement and competition in the PSL have reached a new level due to only one month of cricket in the tournament.

With the stadium being so close to the fans, they are able to enjoy the game in close quarters and a great deal of their time is not wasted. The biggest advantage of PSL over IPL is that it is a short-duration tournament, which is why it is more popular with fans.

According to Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja, the IPL is the best league in the world. Khawaja said that one cannot compare the PSL with the IPL.
Khawaja said, “PSL is a world-class league but there is no doubt that IPL is the best league in the world. There is really no match here (IPL and PSL) because in the end players from all over the world go there (IPL) and that is the only league in which Indian players play. That’s why the discussion of the best league ends here. However, there are many T20 cricket leagues like PSL, BBL, and CPL, they are quality leagues and everyone wants to play in them.”

Which One Is More Popular: IPL or PSL?

The IPL has the advantage in terms of viewership because India is also a densely populated country, and the IPL has created a huge fan base around the world. According to the IPL officials, the 2020 edition of the IPL broke all previous viewership records of all seasons, as well as many records of other T20 leagues.

In accordance with the Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC), the Indian Premier League became the first domestic T20 league as well as a sports tournament to cross 400 billion viewing minutes in terms of viewership across the world. On the other hand, even though the PSL is not able to break the records of the IPL in terms of viewership, it is progressing very well as the PCB has only organized 5 seasons of the tournament so far.