IPL ranks third behind The Hundred & SA20 in latest WCA rankings; Where does world's richest T20 franchise league lag?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been ranked third among the top 10 franchise leagues in the world, according to the latest rankings released by the World Cricketers' Association (WCA) on Thursday. The top two positions are taken by England's The Hundred and South Africa's SA20.

Having started back in 2008, the IPL has grown in stature, and is the richest franchise league in the world at the moment. In fact, the likes of Australia's Big Bash League, Bangladesh Premier League, Pakistan Super League and others came after IPL.

Based on the assessment by the global players body, the BBL and PSL are placed fourth and fifth respectively. United States' Major League Cricket (MLC) which came into existence in 2023, occupied the sixth spot while Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) is ranked 10th.

List of top 10 franchise leagues in world

1. The Hundred (England) – 75.2
2. SA20 (South Africa) – 68
3. Indian Premier League – 62.6
4. Big Bash League (Australia) – 62.5
5. Pakistan Super League – 48
6. Major League Cricket (USA) – 43
7. International League T20 (UAE) – 39.1
8. Caribbean Premier League – 38.9
9. Abu Dhabi T10 – 30.1
10. Bangladesh Premier League – 22.6

Where is IPL lagging among franchise leagues in world?

Unlike other franchise leagues, IPL lost its points in terms of players' rights and welfare. According to Reuters report, the world's richest T20 tournament received maximum points for average payment and payment reliability but lagged in areas such as "right to organise" and "dispute resolutions".

The unceremonious removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL earlier this year, amid political tension between the neighbouring countries also affected IPL's ranking in the latest WCA release. The BCCI's policy of not allowing contracted male players from appearing in other franchise leagues around the world has also come in for criticism.

WCA Chief Executive Tom Moffat said in a statement on Thursday that while cricket had benefited from the increasing numbers of domestic competitions in recent years, it was important to ensure players were taken care of.

"The growth of the domestic leagues landscape has been overwhelmingly positive for our sport, but it has the potential to be even better," he said. "We want all sanctioned leagues to be successful, and to provide fair protections and standards for people within them."

When is IPL 2026 starting?

Into its 19th edition, the IPL 2026 will start on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. However, due to the assembly elections in some Indian states, the organisers have released the first phase of fixtures.

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are the two most successful sides in the IPL, having won five titles each. KKR come second in the list with three titles, the latest coming in the 2024 edition.