PSL to beat IPL? The financial reality behind Mohsin Naqvi's No. 1 league claim
The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, has sparked a fresh wave of debate across the cricketing world by claiming that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is on a trajectory to surpass the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the world’s premier T20 competition.
Speaking at the 82nd meeting of the Board of Governors at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, Naqvi expressed unwavering confidence in the league’s commercial appeal and competitive standard.
“The PSL has now become the best market for investment,” Naqvi said.
“The time is not far when the PSL will become the world’s number one league.”
Naqvi’s comments come at a time when the PCB is navigating significant logistical hurdles, including a scaled-back 2026 season played across just two venues – Lahore and Karachi – due to regional security concerns and a domestic fuel crisis.
Despite these constraints, Naqvi pointed to a record-breaking response in the recent franchise auction as evidence of the league’s burgeoning value.
THE VALUATION GAP
While Naqvi’s rhetoric focuses on potential, current market data suggests a monumental financial chasm between the two South Asian neighbours. The IPL remains a global behemoth with a total league valuation estimated at approximately $18.5 billion. In contrast, the combined valuation of all eight PSL franchises is estimated at roughly $260 million.
The disparity is most visible in individual franchise sales. In March 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru was sold for $1.78 billion, making it the most valuable cricket franchise in history. This single team’s worth is nearly seven times the value of the entire Pakistan Super League. Even the PSL’s newest expansion teams, Hyderabad and Sialkot, were sold in January 2026 for approximately $6.25 million and $6.61 million respectively-figures that are eclipsed by the $700 million-plus price tags commanded by the IPL’s 2021 expansion teams.
BROADCAST METRICS
The engine room of the IPL’s dominance remains its media rights. The current 2023-2027 cycle is worth $6.4 billion, ensuring the league remains the second-richest sporting property in the world on a per-match basis, trailing only the NFL.
Each IPL match generates approximately $13.4 million in media revenue alone. The PSL recently secured a record-breaking domestic broadcast deal with Walee Technologies for the 2026-2029 cycle, valued at approximately $93 million over four seasons.
While this represents a nearly 150% increase from the previous cycle, the per-match value stands at an estimated $775,000.
Consequently, a single IPL match generates more media revenue than an entire season of the PSL.
Critics within Pakistan, including former franchise owners, have voiced concerns that the domestic economy lacks the heat to sustain Naqvi’s ambitious vision. They pointed to a lack of jersey sponsors for some teams this season and a struggle for return on investment (ROI) that has seen brands shift budgets toward direct television advertising rather than team sponsorship.
However, the PCB remains bullish. Officials highlight that the PSL’s digital viewership surged by over 600% in 2025, reaching nearly 50 billion cumulative streaming minutes.
While Naqvi maintains that the PSL is well on its way to the top spot, the reality of the 2026 season – where an IPL star’s single-season salary can exceed an entire PSL team’s total purse-suggests that for now, the competition remains one of regional passion rather than global financial parity.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– Ends
Tune In
