PSL to overtake IPL as “world’s number one league"

Dubai: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has boldly predicted that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will take over Indian Premier League (IPL) as world's number one cricket league soon.

At a Board of Governors meeting in Lahore led by Naqvi, officials pointed to strong investor interest as a sign of the league’s swift rise.

Naqvi stated that the PSL has become a prime investment destination in cricket and believes it will soon rank among the world’s top leagues.

“The PSL has now become the best market for investment," Naqvi said after a board meeting at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

“The time is not far when the PSL will become the world’s number one league."

Alongside the league’s expansion, the PCB approved its audited 2024–25 financial statements, signaling off-field stability.

The franchise auction stole the show, with teams fetching record prices as the PSL expanded from six to eight, welcoming new sides from Sialkot and Hyderabad.

OZ Developers purchased the Sialkot franchise for PKR 1.85 billion (INR 61.4 crore), naming it Sialkot Stallionz, while FKS Group acquired the Hyderabad team for PKR 1.75 billion (INR 58.1 crore), calling it Hyderabad Kingsmen.

IPL remain well ahead

Despite a positive auction, Naqvi’s remarks come as PSL 2026 faces tough circumstances, with matches behind closed doors at only two venues due to the country’s fuel crisis. In contrast, the IPL runs across 12 cities with packed stadiums and global attention, having launched in 2008 compared to PSL’s 2016 debut.

Even on paper, the gap is staggering. IPL commands over $6 billion in media rights, almost 65 times PSL’s $93 million. Annual revenues and overall valuations mirror this as IPL tops $1 billion per season and $18.5 billion in value, while PSL remains in the $50–60 million revenue range and $260 million valuation.

IPL earns about $13.4 million per match in media rights, more than the total value of PSL’s four-year deal, which is less than revenue from seven IPL games.

The PSL also struggles to draw top international stars. Many players who go unsold in the IPL turn to the Pakistan Super League, but when IPL franchises need replacements, they often lure those players away regardless of PSL contracts. Financially, PSL salaries can’t compete, one IPL deal can equal the budget of an entire PSL team.

Naqvi’s ambition is admirable and every league seeks growth, but promoting a dream that ignores reality may leave the PCB chief embarrassed.