A recent BBC sports report has recognised the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as the world’s second most entertaining men’s franchise cricket tournament. The PSL trails only the Indian Premier League (IPL) in global rankings.
The BBC sport analysis conducted in partnership with cricket analysis firm CricViz, evaluated major T20 and short-format franchise competitions, including the IPL, SA20 in South Africa, the Big Bash League (BBL), the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the UAE’s International League T20 (ILT20) and the Hundred in England.
The study measured a range of performance and entertainment-related metrics.
The evaluation considered factors such as the average number of fours and sixes per match, batting strike rates, the proportion of games decided in the final over or ball, home advantage trends, wicket-taking patterns, and the average number of international caps among starting XIs.
According to the findings, PSL topped all leagues with an average first innings score of 180 runs per match, just ahead of IPL’s 179.
In addition, 27.5% of PSL matches were decided in the final over, ranking second to IPL’s 28.9%.
The PSL also secured the second spot in terms of boundaries per game, again following the IPL.
In measuring player quality through international experience, the PSL averaged 351 international caps across the starting XIs, the second-highest among the leagues surveyed.
The ILT20 topped this category with an average of 423, aided by its higher allowance for overseas players.
BBC report highlighted that the PSL delivers quality, thrill and big runs, and the competition consistently produces high-scoring, competitive matches and attracts leading international cricketers.
In the “Entertainment Index,” which aggregated performance across the measured metrics, the IPL emerged as the top-ranked league, scoring a 4.53 index score out of a maximum of five, followed by the PSL with a 3.90 index score.
The ILT20 (2.44) was third in the entertainment index, while England’s The Hundred placed fourth, followed by CPL at 5th and SA at 6th. The BBL finished last.
Launched in 2016, the PSL has quickly grown into one of the most high-profile franchise leagues in the cricketing calendar.
It features six city-based teams and has developed a reputation for producing thrilling contests, fast scoring rates, and opportunities for emerging Pakistani talent to compete alongside and against some of the game’s biggest names.
