Pakistan Super League is entering its “New Era” phase. Expansion, bigger broadcast ambitions, more foreign slots, louder marketing—and more pressure on PCB to make PSL look like a premium global product.
But before you add fireworks to the opening ceremony, fix the engine.
Because one decision is about to define PSL’s next decade:
Should PSL move from Draft to Auction?
This isn’t a fan war.
It’s league governance. It’s economics. It’s brand-building.
And it’s about whether PSL becomes a global franchise league… or stays a regional product with occasional overseas sparkle.
Recent comparisons of maximum team acquisition purses across major T20 leagues—converted to USD—underline the widening financial gap between leagues.
The IPL remains in a league of its own with an estimated $14.5 million team purse, dwarfing all competitors combined. A distant second tier includes The Hundred ($2.4m), SA20 ($2.3m), ILT20 ($2.0m), and BBL ($1.9m), reflecting strong broadcaster-backed models.
Major League Cricket (USA) sits at around $1.1m, slightly ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at $1.0m. While PSL franchises can additionally mobilize up to $300k via commercial or sponsorship routes, this amount remains outside the official auction purse and does not alter the league’s formal spending cap.
At the lower end, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) operates with roughly $920k, while the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) continues to function with a comparatively constrained and variable financial structure.
Why this matters:
These figures increasingly explain differences in player depth, overseas star retention, and auction dynamics—particularly as leagues compete for the same elite talent windows ahead of 2026 cycles.
