Ranking All Flagship T20 Leagues Around The World

The landscape of the cricket world has completely changed in the past 13-14 years with the proliferation of franchise-based T2o tournaments.

It all started with the BCCI launching the Indian Premier League in 2007 and following its unprecedented success, cricket boards around the world have come up with their T20 leagues.

So, how do these leagues fare in comparison?

On that note, let us Rank All Flagship T20 Leagues Around The World:

6. Bangladesh Premier League

With T20 leagues like the IPL capturing the imagination of the cricketing folklore, Bangladesh Cricket Board decided to kickstart their own T20 league in 2012.

However, the league soon found itself in a raging match-fixing controversy and the owners of all the six franchises were suspended by the BCB due to constant violations of the league regulations and delays in players’ salaries.

A number of players including former Bangladesh superstar Mohammad Ashraful and officials were also handed bans and the league did not take place in 2014.

The league returned in 2015 with six new franchises. In 2016/17, Sylhet Super Stars was suspended due to disciplinary violations, and two new teams- Khulna Titans and Rajshahi Kings- were added.

Following constant league regulation violations, the BCB decided to suspend all the franchises and took over the charge and renamed the league as Bangabandhu T20 league.

Constant disciplinary, match-fixing, and the lack of presence of overseas stars have meant that the BPL has never really taken off to capture the imagination of the cricket world.

5. T20 Blast

The T20 Blast has the potential to be one of the best T20 tournaments in the world but a combination of lack of proper scheduling, absence of English internationals and lack of marquee overseas cricketers mean that the competition hasn’t really taken off as it should have.

That said, the strength of English domestic cricketers is immense and the fact that there have been four different winners in the past five seasons means that the tournament has been extremely competitive.

However, with the ECB focussed on making the newly formed ‘Hundred’ as their marquee domestic tournament, the Blast is likely to face tough competition in the forthcoming years.

4. Big Bash League

The Big Bash League is a perfect example of ‘All that glitter is not gold. The competition is all about glitz, glamour, and gimmicks but with very little substance.

But that wasn’t always the case during its initial years. Having made its debut in 2011 with catchy team names and fluorescent pyjamas, the BBL captured the imagination of the Australian fans.

However, in the past 3-4 years, the popularity of the competition has been on a consistent decline.

And, there are a plethora of factors that have resulted in its decline in the past few years. Firstly, the BBL takes place at the height of the Australian international summer which means that marquee Aussie cricketers are not available for almost the entirety of the season.

Secondly, the tournament has seen constant changes in roaster and rules, with gimmicks like X-factor and Super Charge in addition to the length of the competition that has been stretched to its hilt in the past 3 years.

That said, all is not doom and gloom about the BBL. The

3. Pakistan Super League

The first few seasons of the Pakistan Super League were played in the United Arab Emirates due to security issues in Pakistan.

But ever since the league has come home, the tournament has witnessed an increase in popularity because of the presence of the local crowds thronging in the stadium.

Unlike the BBL or T20 Blast, the PSL benefits from the fact that the Pakistani international cricketers are available for the entire season.

But then, just like other T20 leagues sans the IPL, the PSL has also grappled with the lack of marquee international cricketers in the tournament.

Most of the overseas cricketers that feature in the competition are either retired cricketers or discarded from their respective teams discards from their respective teams and the domestic batting talent isn’t great either.

However, the fast bowling stocks are brilliant which leads to compelling competition between bat and ball. The PSL is on an upward curve and it will only get better in the coming months but if there is one thing that the PCB has to guard against is the potential match-fixing scandal that has already dented the league in the past.

2. Caribbean Premier League

It is fair to say that the Caribbean is the spiritual home of Twenty20 cricket.

Naturally aggressive flamboyant cricketers with the sole objective of smashing the ball as hard as they can, amid a partying crowd going bonkers in the stadium, the Caribbean Premier League is nothing short of a carnival.

The domestic stars are of top-notch quality in the CPL but if there is one thing that goes against them is, again, the lack of marquee overseas cricketers plus the time zone in which their matches are played.

That said, CPL is one of the few cricket leagues in the world after the IPL which has managed to sustain its level. Despite the pandemic, last year’s CPL saw a record 500 million viewership and the organizers are looking forward to having a similar sort of success in the upcoming season.

1. Indian Premier League

Of-course, it’s got to be the Indian Premier League. In September 2007, the BCCI launched the franchise-based T20 league as part of their response to the fledgeling Indian Cricket League.

And, the rest, as they say, is history.

The IPL, with its outrageous money, glamour and a whole host of Indian and overseas stars, captured the imagination of the cricket world in no time.

The IPL now has its full-fledged window and so every overseas cricketer is usually available for the season.

And, while it has had its fair share of controversies, the biggest being the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, the IPL continues to remain the best T20 tournament by a country mile.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Team Wise List Of Players Who Might Miss The UAE Leg Of The Tournament