Which is the Richest Cricket League Globally?

Top 5 Wealthiest Cricket League in the World

5. The Hundred ($9 million)

The Hundred is the 5th richest league in the world. England’s domestic competition has a net worth of $9 million. The one-of-its-kind 100-ball tournament is an anomaly among the bazillion T20 and T10 leagues around the world. In simpler terms, in The Hundred a team plays 16.4 overs. The Hundred has enjoyed mixed success. It has proven to be a great advertisement for women’s cricket. It is a unique proposition where all eight teams have both men’s and women’s teams. The women’s teams matches are played and then on the same day, the men’s teams of the same franchise play their match. 

However, many experts and fans oppose the league. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) already had a domestic T20 tournament Vitality Blast. Instead of attempting to market the already existing tournament, ECB launched the Hundred which is 20 balls shorter than the T20 format. The different rules including one which can see a bowler bowling 10 balls consecutively have meant that the players are not being prepared for International cricket.

4. Big Bash League ($10 million)

The Big Bash League (BBL) in all likelihood has the best quality of cricket after the IPL. It is the fourth richest league in the world with a net worth of $10 million. It is sponsored by KFC and was established in 2011. The BBL in recent times has faced tough competition from new leagues. This has meant that Australian franchises are not able to attract the top talent from around the world like they used to. With ILT20 and SA20 being played at the same time, players now have the option to ply their trade where the most money is being offered. SA20 and ILT20 are six-team tournaments which means that they are played for a shorter duration in comparison to the Big Bash.

Big Bash unlike most other T20 leagues has been a revolutionary tournament. There have been a few rules that the BBL has tried which have been now implemented in other leagues. For instance, the X-Factor rule in BBL allowed teams to substitute one player from the playing 11. There are two more rules that set the BBL apart from other leagues. Instead of a coin toss, there is a bat flip in the BBL. The traditional six-over powerplay is divided into two parts. There is a four-over powerplay at the start of an innings. The remaining two-over powerplay is called Power Surge which can be opted by the batting team anytime in the second half of the innings.

3. South Africa T20 ($12.5 million)

South Africa T20 (SA20) is the third richest league in the world. It has a net worth of $12.5 million. The SA20 has pushed leagues from all around the world to become one of the best cricket tournaments in the world. In spite of being roughly two years old, the cricket league has become a top destination for many players. There are multiple reasons behind the newfound popularity of the domestic T20 tournament. 

All of the six teams are owned by IPL franchises. This means that there is already a sort of an existing fanbase for the teams. Apart from the IPL team ownership, the SA20 matches are played in a time zone that suits the Indian viewers. India is where the sport of cricket is the most popular and is watched by the highest amount of people. This has allowed SA20 to be a huge success overseas as well. However, the biggest criticism behind the league was that the schedule clashed with South Africa’s tour to New Zealand. The Proteas then sent a third-fourth string squad for a two-match test series earlier in 2024.

2. International League T20 ($15 million)

International League T20 (ILT20) is the second richest league in the world. It has a net worth of $15 million. Unlike all other T20 leagues, ILT20 takes place in UAE which in itself is nowhere near a cricketing powerhouse like Australia, England, Pakistan, or South Africa. However, again with three of six teams being owned by IPL franchises means that the salary caps for the tournament are bigger than many other leagues. The rules of the league allow as many as nine players in the playing 11 to be overseas. UAE is producing some decent cricketers, however, to attract more viewers the tournament needs the star attractions of overseas stars.

The overseas stars include the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, David Warner, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Kieron Pollard, and Dwayne Bravo among others. The availability of top-quality talent from all around the world has allowed ILT20 to fight off the competition it faces from BBL and SA20.

1. Indian Premier League ($18.5 billion)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the richest league in the world. The IPL has a net worth of $18.5 billion. Just to put the extreme brand value of the IPL in perspective it is 800 times richer than the ILT20 which is ranked second. When the IPL started in 2008 it brought along a revolution in cricket. The BCCI has made loads of money through the league and it is the biggest reason behind BCCI being the richest cricket board in the world. The IPL is like a major festival to the religion of cricket. 

What makes the IPL stand out among other T20 tournaments is that it has a separate window. The IPL is played from March to the last week of May. During this period, very little to no international cricket was being played. In spite of banning Pakistani cricketers from participating in the tournament (from 2009), the marquee T20 league has made a lot of revenue. 

For the players, IPL has become the major source of income during the year. Players earn in crores for playing less than 20 matches. Rishabh Pant was bought by Lucknow Supergiants in the IPL 2025 mega auction for ₹27 crores making him the most expensive player in IPL history. The Indian wicketkeeper could earn more than ₹1.5 crores per match even if he plays a maximum of 17 games. The IPL also has brought a first-of-its-kind match fee with the upcoming season.