Where does PSL stand in comparison with IPL, BBL?

In the world of cricket, the T20 format has now become the face of the sport where in the space of three hours or just a little more, fans get to witness all the action and drama, that too with certainty that there will be a result.

In the world of T20 cricket, different leagues have now taken a more central stage as they are now becoming more of an identity of the state of cricket in that particular country.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is the country’s leading T20 competition and its seventh edition is set to begin in less than a weeks’ time.

Officials, as well as ex and current cricketers, often claim that Pakistan’s premier T20 competition is amongst the best in the world alongside the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia. On the other hand, some just believe that the PSL does not really belong to that elite level.

While there is no right or wrong way to compare the three events because each is being played with a different amount of teams, in different conditions and with different objectives, however, there are some common grounds to test where does PSL stands.

In this article, Bol News will try and compare the three leagues with six different indicators to see who stands where in terms of on the field competition.

PSL

PSL is a relatively new kid on the blocks of 20-over leagues but in a short period of time, it has gained a lot of fan following from different parts of the world.

The idea of the PSL was presented way before it eventually materialised as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf, in 2013, announced that a franchise-based T20 competition with the name Pakistan Premier League (PPL) will be organised in Qatar.

However, that proposal never really became a reality. Later on, the PCB management finally managed to sort things out and the tournament was formally announced in 2015 and the first edition was organised in the early part of 2016.

The PCB realised that PSL can become the primary source of bringing international cricket back in the country which came to a halt after a terrorist attack on Sri Lankan team bus in 2009.

The competition became a serious hit despite only five teams taking part in the first two editions whereas from the third season, six teams battled it out for the supremacy.

In the early auction for the five franchise, Karachi Kings was the most expensive one as it was bought by the ARY Group for a fee of $26 million for a ten-year period.

However, later, Multan Sultans, the sixth team to be inducted, became the most expensive franchise after being sold to Schön Properties for a price of $5.2 million per year for the cycle of eight years.

Even though there is no information regarding the brand value of the PSL, it is believed that the net worth of the league has increased exponentially as it can be seen from the fact that the cost of the primary sponsorship of the competition has increased from $5.2 million per year for three years between 2016-18 to now $22.2 million per year for a period of four years from 2022-25.

However, there is a feeling amongst the cricket community in Pakistan that the PSL has another level to reach as a brand and it can only be achieved once it will be organised completely in the country and in normal circumstances.

Despite only six seasons being played, already five out of the six teams have lifted the trophy at least once and Lahore Qalandars remain the only team to have never won a title.

Islamabad United remain the most successful franchise out of all as they’ve worn the PSL crown twice — in 2016 and 2018.

Karachi Kings newly-appointed captain and star batter Babar Azam is the highest run-getter in the competition with 2,070 runs at an average of 43.12 along with the strike-rate of 121.55, which included 21 half-centuries.

Peshawar Zalmi’s star pacer and captain Wahab Riaz is the leading wicket-taker in the competition’s history with 94 scalps to his name in 67 matches at an average of 19.61 along with the economy-rate of 7.38.

IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is undoubtedly the oldest and the most famous T20 franchise-based competition in the world. The event, which eventually became the world’s leading annual 20-over contest, was formed in the year 2007 following the announcement of the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

That league was funded by Zee Entertainment Enterprises and was formed after they failed to get the rights to telecast cricket matches in the country.

The arrival of that league created a big obstacle for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) who first declared ICL illegal and banned the players from participating in the competition and at the same time announced the formation of their own league with the name of IPL.

The league’s format was inspired by football and basketball competitions in the west. However, to keep the interest of the viewers going, the league had a final to decide the ultimate winner.

The IPL started as an eight-team competition in 2008. The teams were sold in an auction in January that year where the interested parties participated in a bidding war starting from $400 million.

Slowly but gradually, IPL has now transformed itself into a 10-team competition that is now being organised over a two-month-long period.

As per a report published in the Economic Times in 2019, IPL’s estimated brand value is roughly more than $6 billion, thus making it one of the richest sporting competitions in the world.

Mumbai India, which is owned by Reliance Industries, is the most successful franchise in the history of the competition, winning five titles.

They are closely followed by Chennai Super Kings, who are also the reigning champions, as they have won the title four times.

Surprisingly, despite having 14 editions of the competition, three of the regular teams — Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Delhi Capitals (previously known as Delhi Daredevils) and Punjab Kings (previously known as Kings XI Punjab) — who have taken part in each edition, have never won the competition.

RCB’s former captain Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter in the competition’s history with 6,283 runs at an average of 37.39 along with the strike-rate of 129.95.

Former Mumbai Indians pacer Lasith Malinga is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the competition with 170 scalps to his name in 122 matches at an average of 19.70 along with an economy-rate of 7.14.

BBL

Big Bash League (BBL) is one of the most famous T20 leagues in the world and over the years produced some very exciting contests between bat and ball. The charm of the competition remains in the diversity of the pitches across Australia which makes BBL an exciting watch for the fans.

The competition in its current state was formed in 2011 when it replaced the former T20 competition in the country where six state teams used to participate.

The new version of BBL had eight teams and there was a proposal in consideration to increase the number of sides as well. However, that proposal never really materialised.

BBL is also famous for its methods to innovate cricket. From the use of Mangoose bat to the use of bats instead of coins for the toss, BBL has always something new to offer to fans all across the world.

In the competition’s history, Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers are the joint-most successful teams with three titles each.

Three teams — Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes — have never won a title.

Brisbane Heat’s right-handed batter Chris Lynn is the highest run-getter in the history of the competition with 3,005 runs to his name at an average of 34.54 along with the strike-rate of 148.83, which include one century and 24 fifties. He is closely followed by Australia’s current T20 captain Aaron Finch (2,817) and explosive all-rounder Glenn Maxwell (2,673).

Pacer Sean Abbott is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the tournament with 122 scalps to his name in 91 outings at an average of 20.62 along with an economy-rate of 8.50. He is closely followed by fellow pacers Kane Richardson (117) and AJ Tye (113).

Boundary comparison

Boundaries in limited-overs cricket is one of the most essential components there is to see for the fans. The more boundaries hit, the more exciting it is for cricket lovers. While there is a common perception that the IPL has a far greater boundary count compared to the other two leagues, which is not entirely the case.

On the contrary, the perception that PSL does not have that much batting talent available to utilise the short boundaries is also not true as the balls per boundary taken by the batters in Pakistan’s premier T20 competition is better than the BBL and is very close to what the batters have achieved in the mighty IPL.

Similarly, the percentage of runs scored in boundaries shows the dominance of batters over the bowlers in limited-overs cricket. Many argue that the PSL does not have the batting talent to score most of the runs in boundaries but the data suggest otherwise as 57% of the total runs scored in the PSL came from fours and sixes, just two per cent less than what batters have achieved in the IPL and five per cent more than BBL.

Not to forget that is despite the fact that some of the leading names in white-ball cricket including the likes of David Warner, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Aaron Finch have never participated in the PSL because of their international commitments. Meanwhile, other big hitters like AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle have been disappointing in the Pakistan’s premier T20 competition.

Average scores

Average scores is another indicator to see the level of competitiveness in the competition. While there is a common opinion that average scores in the PSL remains relatively lower compared to the other two leagues, the data once again suggest otherwise.

In the PSL, a team post an average score of 153 runs in an innings, just two short of what teams have managed to post in IPL and two more than the teams have managed to post in the BBL.

Similarly, the teams’ average run-rate in the PSL is equivalent to that of the teams in BBL whereas it is slightly lower than what the teams have managed to achieve in the IPL.

It is pertinent to mention here that this data does not highlight the fact that the majority of the matches in the PSL have been played in the UAE on slow and low pitches, unlike the IPL or the BBL where a vast majority of the games have been played on local wickets and batters had a chance to score more freely.

Bowling averages

The last two indicators to see the quality of cricket in the PSL is to look at the overall bowling performances. In the Pakistan’s premier T20 competition, bowlers have managed to claim a wicket after giving away just over 26 runs, which is nearly equivalent to that of the bowlers record in the BBL and is much better than how the bowlers have performed in the IPL.

Similarly, in terms of economy-rate, bowlers in the PSL have done better compared to what the bowlers have achieved in the IPL despite having some of the best talent available and is the second-best compared to how the bowlers have operated in the BBL.

Conclusion:

The above-mentioned data reveals why PSL became one of the most followed cricket leagues in the world in a very short span and that is down to the very fact that there is just competition between bat and ball, something the fans always appreciate.

Despite having very few matches in home conditions and in front of the home crowds and without having some of the most famous names available for selection due to other commitments, the PSL has managed to establish its own identity where the viewers are well-aware that the game is not tilted towards one aspect only.

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