Twenty20 cricket, or T20 for short, was introduced in 2003. Considering the traditional version of the game harks back to the 18th century, it’s fair to say that T20 is still in its infancy. The 5 best T20 Leagues in the World has given below.
But what an impact T20 has had in just 17 years.
The 5 Best T20 Leagues in the World
The sport has revolutionized cricket as we know it, with this faster-paced version leading to shorter games, condensed action, and propelled popularity. Now, you can see here the details of the 5 best T20 Leagues in the World. This is in no small part due to the wide selection of T20 leagues scattered all over the world. In this guide, we’ll introduce you, in no particular order, to the Top 5.
Indian Premier League (IPL)
The league started in 2008, partly off the back of India’s win of the inaugural T20 World Cup the year prior. We’ve said in no particular order, but we may cheat on that straight off the bat (bad pun intended). The Indian Premier League may very well be the top T20 league in the world right now.
With boatloads of cash, plenty of sponsorship money, and brands fighting to get deals with teams and individual players, it’s no surprise the IPL sits pretty as the number one T20 league, at least in terms of TV viewership and average attendance (which sits around 50,000).
There’s a reason why betting fans head on over to www.asiabet.org to place bets on the IPL. It’s an exciting league, the results often unpredictable, and considering it’s popular beyond India as well, we think it has the potential to become one of the top sports leagues on the planet, let alone cricket leagues.
Big Bash League (BBL)
Is it any surprise that Australia’s T20 cricket league has a bodacious name like the Big Bash League? Started in 2011, the league runs through Australia’s summer. From December to January, fans are increasingly turning to T20 as their sport of choice.
The Big Bash League is no small T20 league. Each match attracts roughly 30,000 spectators, and that’s for regular league matches. For the playoffs, that number cranks up to around 40,000.
What sets Big Bash League apart from other Ozzie sports is its spectacular growth in recent years. When the league started, the tournament only had 28 matches. Now? It’s grown to 59 games total. No matter how you spin it, that’s ridiculous growth in just a few short years.
However, some are worried. Ex-Melbourne Stars skipper John Hastings, for example, feels that a longer season may be a little too much of a good thing. Is there a chance we’re going to start seeing BBL fatigue? We don’t think so.
Caribbean Premier League (CPL)
Just like every other T20 league on the planet, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is continuing to experience unprecedented growth. In 2019, the league saw an increase in viewership of 56%. In total, over 312 million watched the CPL between September and October 2019.
The game involves six countries in the Caribbean: Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, and Kitts & Nevis. The fact that it has a huge geographical spread no doubt contributes to the league’s popularity, but the PR team has also made important contributions.
For example, the league has signed several big-money broadcast deals within the region and beyond, it streamed many of the matches on Facebook and Twitter, and has encouraged teams and players to be active on social media.
Pakistan Super League
The Pakistan Super League is one of the youngsters of this list, having only started in 2016. While the league’s attendance isn’t quite there compared to the others on this list, we’re still talking over 25,000 people cheering on their teams per league match.
One thing that Pakistan team does offer its fans is pure talent. Cricket has always been a leading sport in the country, and with many young cricket hopefuls turning to T20, the level of play is top-notch across the board.
The league is still relatively small, with only 6 teams in total. Following the double round-robin together with the familiar playoff formula, the Pakistan Super League tends to deliver high-paced action with tense championship editions.
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)
We round off our list with the Bangladesh Premier League, founded in 2012. The average fan knows the league as the BPL, and it’s the country’s top T20 cricket league. While it’s still very much unique and a league of its own, it has looked to the Indian Premier League (IPL) as its big brother format.
The league struggled to get going in its early years, but it’s now a legit contender for one of the top leagues in the world. It now draws around 25,000 fans on average per game, and has driven competitors to secondary roles.
The league is controlled by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), which is doing an ingenious job in its attempt to improve the sport at the grass-root level. For example, every team must have an overseas bowler who can hit 140km per hour for their bowls. They must also have one leg-spinner featuring in every line-up. With these tweaks to the rules, the league is driving forward local talent level.
The Future is Brighter Still
T20 cricket has taken the world by storm. Viewership is in the hundreds of millions, players are increasingly earning big bucks wages, and cricket fans are turning to T20 as their league of choice.
The sport is still extremely young. Some fans might be holding on to traditional cricket, but many are slowly turning as they realize just how fun and fast-paced T20 is. We think the future is brighter still.
