Cricket and business have always walked hand in hand. This relationship grew even stronger with the advent of T20 cricket and franchise cricket played around the globe. There is so much in T20 cricket for the fans as well. They are required to invest less time in which they see a lot of boundaries being hit. Additionally, there is a lot of entertainment factor involved in T20 cricket that helps catch a lot of eyeballs. 

Mindful of these factors, several countries developed their T20 cricket leagues to keep their fans entertained. Due to the money involved in the franchise T20 cricket, it is an attractive revenue source for the respective cricket boards. Additionally, people love watching their favorite players from other cricketing nations play for their favorite franchise teams. 

Here is a list of the richest T20 cricket leagues in the world according to the prize money involved. We will start by increasing order of popularity and richness while declaring the leagues. 

T20 Blast

The English and Wales Cricket Board or ECB conducts the T20 Blast competition every year. It is the oldest T20 franchise cricket tournament that goes way back to 2003 – its founding year. 18 first-class counties from England and Wales participate in this mega event every year. The conclusion of the Benson & Hedges cup in 2002 (One Day format) in addition to fewer crowds and sponsorships gave ECB the impetus to launch a 20-overs format competition, aka the T20 Blast. 

Here are some facts and highlights of the T20 Blast competition – 

ParticularDetails
Inception Year2003
Total Teams 18
Full NameVitality T20 Blast
Inaugural ChampionsSurrey Lions
Current ChampionsHampshire Hawks
Prize Money£175,000 (INR 1.67 cr)

Big Bash League

The Big Bash League is Cricket Australia’s brainchild that is commonly referred to as BBL or Big Bash. The competition was launched in 2011 as Cricket Australia’s initiative to replace the erstwhile KFC T20 Big Bash. A total of 8 teams participate in the tournament every year. The KFC T20 Big Bash had 6 teams. The crowd attendance and viewership of the BBL are quite astonishing. It is also the only T20 cricket league in this list that has a separate women’s competition as well – Women BBL or WBBL. 

Here goes some interesting facts about the Big Bash League – 

ParticularDetails
Inception Year2011
Total Teams 08
Full NameKFC BBL
Inaugural ChampionsSidney Sixers
Current ChampionsPerth Scorchers
Prize Money$450,000 (INR 2.48 cr)

Pakistan Super League

The Pakistan Super League or PSL is one of the newly-launched T20 franchise cricket league that is managed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The top six cities in Pakistan – Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan compete for the glittering trophy and huge prize money. The competition started in 2016. Despite the timings of the tournament, many current and retired top players from other countries (not India) participate in this mega event. In the initial years, the competition was held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but for the last couple of years, PSL matches are played in grounds situated across Pakistan.

Here is some fun facts about the Pakistan Super League – 

ParticularDetails
Inception Year2016
Total Teams 06
Full NameHBL PSL
Inaugural ChampionsIslamabad United
Current ChampionsLahore Qalandars
Prize MoneyPKR 80 million (INR 3.4 cr)

Bangladesh Premier League

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) conducts a professional T20 tournament of its own that is called “Bangladesh Premier League”. BCB launched BPL (as it is commonly referred to) in 2012 to replace the then-suspended National Cricket League T20 competition. The competition currently sees the participation of 7 teams and all the matches are played in various stadiums across the country. In terms of attendance, Bangladesh Premier League is the “16th most attended premier league in the world”. 

The table below highlights some important facts about the Bangladesh Premier League – 

ParticularDetails
Inception Year2012
Total Teams 07
Full NameBangabandhu BPL-T20
Inaugural ChampionsDhaka Gladiators
Current ChampionsComilla Victorians
Prize Money$850,000 (INR 6.19 cr)

Caribbean Premier League

Cricket West Indies or CWI (erstwhile West Indies Cricket Board) conducts the Caribbean Premier League or CPL, as it is fondly known, for its cricket fans and fans around the globe. The tournament was first organized in 2013. This tournament not only attracts top players from across the globe but has also helped unearth local players who then have gone on to represent West Indies at the international level. 

Given below are some important stats about the Caribbean Premier League – 

ParticularDetails
Inception Year2013
Total Teams 06
Full NameHero CPL
Inaugural ChampionsJamaica Tallawahs
Current ChampionsJamaica Tallawahs
Prize Money$1 million (INR 7.98 cr)

Indian Premier League

The Indian Premier League or IPL is the most popular franchise T20 competition that currently exists in the world. IPL was launched by the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) in 2008 on the back of India’s victory in the inaugural edition of the T20 world cup in 2007. India had a franchise T20 cricket tournament called the Indian Cricket League (ICL) that was not recognized by the BCCI. To prevent players from joining ICL, the BCCI introduced the IPL and imposed lifetime bans on players who were with ICL. 

Here are some important facts about the Indian Premier League – 

ParticularDetails
Inception Year2008
Total Teams 10
Full NameTATA IPL
Inaugural ChampionsRajasthan Royals
Current ChampionsGujarat Titans
Prize Money$24,64,770 (INR 20 cr)