Top 10 Biggest Cricket Leagues in the World 2025 - Updated

Cricket has evolved into one of the most popular sports in many countries. There are countries like the USA, which were previously inclined towards football, that are now making efforts to learn cricket and have established a separate league for themselves to encourage players and promote the sport. A few years earlier, there were very few T20 cricket leagues that ruled over the world. But now, many T20 leagues have started recently and are doing wonders.

Players from all over the world try to participate in all the leagues apart from the domestic and international tournaments. Two things happen for them: they get good exposure and good money. However, only Indian players aren't allowed to play in any other T20 leagues worldwide. They can only participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is the BCCI’s brainchild.

While this is certainly a big disadvantage for the players, they devote that amount of time to international cricket. The main reason behind now allowing them is that the T20 leagues will destroy the shape of their batting, which, in a way, might be true. Playing a lot of T20 matches makes it difficult for players to play red-ball cricket after a certain period. In this article, we will discuss the top ten world's biggest cricket league, which have kept the audience hooked for years.

How We Ranked the Biggest Cricket Leagues?

We have ranked the top 10 biggest cricket leagues in the world based on some specific ranking factors so that all the biggest cricket league in the world are ranked fairly.

• League Valuation: The table is prepared on the basis of the league's brand value and its financial size. Some leagues have a good viewership and a large amount of money they earn at the end of the tournament.
• Social Media Following: The tournaments are also ranked based on their fan following on social media, as the more a league is followed, the bigger it gets.
• Global Viewership: Tournaments are also ranked on the global viewership, as it determines the overall reach of the league, which has the widest viewership will be ranked higher in this list.
• Star Power: Leagues are also ranked based on the quality who are part of these leagues. The presence of highly skilled, internationally recognised, and consistently performing players enhances a league's quality on the global stage.
• Broadcast Reach: Broadcast Reach means how many people around the world can watch the league on TV or online. The more countries and viewers a league reaches, the more popular and valuable it becomes.
• Prize Money: Prize Money is the amount of money given to the winning teams and players in a league. Higher prize money makes a league more attractive to top players and shows how rich and big it is.
• Franchise Value & Investment: Franchise Value & Investment means how much each team in the league is worth and how much money owners put into them. Higher franchise value and big investments show the league is strong, successful, and growing in business.

List of Top 10 Cricket League in the World

This list of the top 10 biggest cricket leagues in the world refers to the top professional T20 cricket leagues that are the most popular, valuable, and widely watched across the globe. These leagues are the biggest because of their high-quality players, large fan bases, big prize money, and strong media coverage.

Which is the Biggest Cricket League in the World - 2025

In terms of value, annual revenue and value, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has left behind all the other leagues in the world. They have a better viewership as well, thanks to the participation of many players at a time. Also, the kind of hospitality and logistics provided by the BCCI encourages the players to play in the league. The competition and the environment the league provides for youngsters are also very impressive, and because of this, IPL is the biggest cricket league in the world.

10. Women’s Premier League | WPL | 2023

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) came late into the party but has gained a lot of popularity and is now considered one of the world's biggest cricket league. Started in 2023, the league was a replication of IPL, but with wonderful women from all around the world. The prize money of this league is around INR 6 crores, which will be given to the winners.

9. Caribbean Premier League | CPL | 2013

The West Indies Cricket Board came up with the idea of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), seeing the profit and the popularity gained by the other leagues in the world. The league started back in 2013 and continues to this day. Players from all over the world participate in the league, as the environment is pretty engaging. In 2024, the prize money for the winning team was INR 8.4 crores.

8. Bangladesh Premier League | BPL | 2012

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) came before the PSL and the CPL, but couldn't gain much popularity because of the financial condition of the Board. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) introduced the tournament back in 2011 with six teams. However, even today, many cricketers participate in the league. Now, the winning team gets an amount of INR 6.19 crores as a prize amount, which is more than the PSL.

7. Pakistan Super League | PSL | 2016

After watching the other leagues, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) started their league, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), to tackle the other cricket leagues in the world. It was a good decision to engage their players in the T20 league, giving them the much-needed exposure to play with other cricketers. The league started in 2016 and has six teams. The league has been going on successfully for ten years, with the upcoming season starting in April 2025. In this league, the winner’s prize is set at ₹4.13 crores. PSL is also among the top 10 cricket league in the world.

6. Major Cricket League | MLC | 2023

The US made its entry into the cricket world with its tournament, the Major League Cricket (MLC), in 2023. It was a three-week-long league where players mostly from the US team played, which was divided into six teams. The league was to promote the sport in the US, which did happen. Now, the league will expand to ten teams because of the fan following and the support they get from the people.

5. The Hundred | 2021

The Hundred is a hundred-ball cricket tournament that started in 2021 by the England and Wales Cricket Board. The tournament gained a lot of hype because of its unique format and the participation of many legendary players in the league. It has eight teams and is played in a round-robin league and playoff format. The Hundred is extremely exciting to watch as the results become unpredictable most of the time.

4. Big Bash League | BBL | 2011

The Big Bash League (BBL) came after the IPL in 2011. Cricket Australia started it, and now it is one of the biggest cricket leagues in the world. Almost all countries except India play BBL. The league has eight teams named after the cities of Australia. They follow a double round-robin and knockout finals format. The average audience presence in Australia's stadiums during the BBL season has seen progress each year. This proves that the crowd is interested in watching the game and their favourite players coming together to play on a single team.

3. SA20 | 2023

South Africa's SA20 has gained popularity within a short span of two years. Former cricketer and Cricket South Africa President Graeme Smith has a vision of making the tournament bigger than it is now. In terms of value, it is the third highest on the list of the top 10 cricket league in the world, with approximately $12 million. A total of six teams take part in the league. Sunrisers Eastern Cape had been dominating the tournament for two seasons, but this year, it was the MI Cape Town who laid their hands on the trophy. It has been a huge step from the Board to encourage the young players to participate and learn from the environment.

2. International League T20 | ILT20 | 2023

The ILT20 came into existence in 2023 and is now considered the richest cricket league in the world. Many cricketers take part in the tournament and have received a global response due to the comfort it gives. The tournament isn't long and helps the players interact with each other, and the matches last for almost a month. It has the potential to reach heights in the upcoming years as it comes among one of the biggest cricket leagues.

1. Indian Premier League | IPL | 2008

Without a doubt, the IPL is one of the biggest cricket leagues in the world. Players from all over the world leave aside their other commitments to participate in the cash-rich league. Keeping aside the monetary benefits, which are a lot, the league also gives space for players to explore India and to play with or against some of the best cricketers in the world. Regarding monetary gains, the winning team receives a whopping amount of INR 20 crores, which is huge. Also, Pakistani players are banned from the IPL. Apart from them, players from all the other countries get a chance to play in the league.