Cricket might not be as famous everywhere, but it’s really exciting to watch. That’s why there are lots of cricket leagues around the world where fans can support their favorite teams and watch some amazing games. Let’s explore the top 10 cricket leagues happening right now.
Cricket started in South East England in the 1500s and became more popular over the years, spreading across Britain and then to other parts of the world. Now, let’s take a look at some of the best cricket leagues happening worldwide.
Top 10 Cricket Leagues in the World at Present
The Top 10 Cricket League works like this: teams play against each other in a round-robin style, then there are eliminator matches, and finally, the big final match decides the winner. It’s become one of the top cricket leagues globally after running successfully for several seasons. All these leagues are approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
These leagues have helped many players showcase their talent, and some have even gone on to play for their national teams.
Here’s a list of the current top 10 cricket leagues happening around the world.
10. Lanka Premier League
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Lanka Premier League | Sri Lanka |
The Lanka Premier League (LPL) was a big Twenty-20 cricket tournament in Sri Lanka. It was suggested by Sri Lanka Cricket to take the place of the Inter-Provincial Twenty-20 tournament as the main Twenty-20 league in the country.
09. Global T20 League
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Global T20 League | Canada |
The Global T20 League is a Canadian T20 cricket league formed in 2018. Six teams compete in this league, which is recognized by the International Cricket Council. Since its first match, it has become one of the top ten cricket leagues globally.
08. Mzansi Super Premier League
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Mzansi Super League | South Africa |
The Mzansi Super League is South Africa’s top T20 cricket league, starting in 2018. However, due to Covid-related issues, the league had to be canceled. This was a significant event for T20 cricket in South Africa, even though it faced challenges.
07. Bangladesh Premier League
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Bangladesh Premier League | Bangladesh |
The Bangladesh Premier League, known as BPL, is the top cricket league in Bangladesh. It’s similar to the IPL but with seven city-based teams instead of six divisional teams from the past.
The BPL provides intense matches and a bigger stage for players, boosting the confidence of Bangladeshi players like never before. Each season of the BPL features seven teams battling it out for victory.
06. Abu Dhabi T10 League
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi T10 League | Abu Dhabi, UAE |
The Abu Dhabi T10 League, also known as the T10 Association, is an annual cricket tournament held in the United Arab Emirates. What makes this league unique is that each match is played with ten overs per side.
In this league, every match lasts for 90 minutes with each team getting ten overs to bat and bowl. It has become popular among cricket fans worldwide because of its fast-paced action and competitive betting opportunities.
05. Vitality Blast
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Vitality Blast | England and Wales |
Started in 2003, the T20 Blast is now called the Vitality Blast because of sponsorship. It’s the top Twenty20 cricket tournament in England and Wales with 18 teams representing their counties. The Vitality Blast is one of the top five richest cricket tournaments globally, alongside IPL, BBL, CPL, and PSL. It’s getting more and more competitive as teams try to get big-name players from around the world.
04. Pakistan Super League
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Pakistan Super League | Pakistan |
The Pakistan Super League (PSL), run by the Pakistan Cricket Board, started in September 2015 when they officially announced it. Because of security concerns in Pakistan, the first season of PSL was held entirely in the United Arab Emirates.
03. Caribbean Premier League
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Caribbean Premier League | West Indies |
The Caribbean Premier League (CPL), also known as CPLT20, is a yearly Twenty-20 cricket tournament in the Caribbean. It started in 2013, taking over from the Caribbean Twenty-20 as the main competition.
The CPL gets a lot of support from fans and players, and even Hollywood stars like Mark Wahlberg have shown their support for West Indian cricket! It has six teams, each representing different parts of the Caribbean, to make sure the games are fair for everyone involved.
02. Big Bash League
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Big Bash League | Australia |
The Big Bash League is a professional cricket league in Australia founded in 2011 by Cricket Australia. It’s the second most popular cricket league globally after the Indian Premier League. The matches take place during the Australian summer months of December and January.
BBL matches are now the eighth most-attended sports leagues worldwide, with a big crowd at each match. Since its start in 2011, eight teams with both international and local players have been giving exciting matches for Australian fans to enjoy.
01. Indian Premier League
| League Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Indian Premier League | India |
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is undoubtedly the top cricket league in the world. It changed cricket by making it more commercial and fun, and it also boosted players’ popularity with sponsorship deals.
Started by the BCCI in 2007, the IPL is now the sixth most valuable sports league globally, estimated at 4.16 billion dollars. Every year, millions of people worldwide tune in to watch IPL matches, creating some big brands along the way!
Also read: Most Expensive Players by Team in IPL 2024