The most important cricketing revolution of this century took place in 2008 when the Indian Premier League was introduced. Suddenly, franchise T-20 cricket was the talk of the town, and man countries started their own league. In 2021, such is the importance of franchise cricket that several players prioritize it over their national team. In this article, we will look at Five popular T-20 leagues and their prize money.
#5 Vitality Blast – 1.81 crores
In 2003 ECB came with a new idea to start a 20 over format and called it the T-20 Cup. From 2018, the tournament is called Vitality Blast and has three divisions. Each division has six teams and the top two teams in a division along with two best third-placed team qualify for the quarter-finals.
In the 2020 edition, the semi-final and the final took place in a single day, and Nottinghamshire have crowned champions. The competition has attracted a lot of audiences in the last few seasons and could well become a competitor to IPL in the future.
#4 Pakistan Super League – (~3.6 crores)
Formed in 2016, PSL started with five teams but now has six franchises. The franchises play amongst themselves home and away, with the top four teams qualifying for the play-offs. Similar to IPL, there are 2 qualifiers and one eliminator. The current PSL champions are Multan Sultans, captained by Mohammad Rizwan.
Sultans won their first title in 2021 and Islamabad United are the most successful team with two titles. Before the pandemic, the prize money of PSL was 1 million dollars. The prize money might be increased next season if full occupancy is allowed inside stadiums.
#3 Caribbean Premier League – 1 million dollars (~ 7.5 crores)
Arguably the second most attractive T-20 league after IPL, CPL has played its part in the emergence of several young Caribbean superstars. The CPL currently follows a snake draft format for player purchases and has six franchises.
Trinbago Knight Riders, captained by Kieron Pollard, won a record third title in 2020. They also went through the tournament undefeated, a unique record. CPL is also known for its slow and low pitches, which aids spin bowling. Lendl Simmons is the all-time top scorer of CPL, and Dwayne Bravo holds the record for most wickets.
#2 Big Bash League – 450,000 Australian dollars (~2.5 crores)
The BBL’s popularity has been steadily increasing every season since its inception. Compared to other T-20 leagues, BBL has chopped and changed its rules regularly to attract more audiences. BBL is amongst the top ten most-watched sporting leagues in the world based on average attendance.
Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers are the most successful teams with three titles each. They have also played four BBL finals, both of them winning on two occasions. The Melbourne derby and the Sydney derby attracts a lot more interest compared to other matches.
#1 Indian Premier League – 10 crores
The richest and by far the best amongst the T-20 Leagues in the world is the IPL. The IPL started with eight teams, but in 2011 ten teams participated. Since 2014, the IPL has followed the same format with no important changes in playing rules also. Mumbai Indians are the most successful franchise in IPL history with five titles.
The rivalry between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings has been dubbed as the “El Clásico” of cricket due to its popularity. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 IPL was stopped mid-way, but it is set to be resumed in the UAE from September 19.
