Despite being the most commercial and popular cricket league worldwide, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has fallen in the latest global T20 rankings, with the new league called The Hundred finding a way to the top of the rankings.
The rankings were published by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA), formerly the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) and mark a changing scenario in the atmosphere of franchise cricket.
Long distinguished as being the most lucrative and high-profile T20 league in the world, the IPL now occupies the third place with a score of 62.6 points.
While its financial dominance is unrivalled, the report has indicated that the league needs to make major improvements in all facets other than revenue generation, especially players’ rights and general welfare.
According to the WCA, the IPL’s lower ranking is a reflection of increasing concerns from players about treatment and workloads as well as contract conditions.
The evaluation focuses on the fact that success in future will not just depend upon the commercial strength, it will also depend upon how leagues prioritise the well-being and rights of players.
At the top of the rankings is The Hundred, England’s relatively new franchise competition which secured its first place with a massive 75.2 points.
Its innovative format and pronounced emphasis on the condition of the players have been attributed to its rise.
South Africa’s SA20 comes in second with 68 points, yet another indication of the rise of the new leagues.
Just behind the IPL is Australia’s Big Bash league that has 62.5 points standing at the 4th place.
Pakistan Super League (PSL) is 5th with 48 points.
The rest of top ten includes Major league Cricket that stands in sixth place, followed by UAE’s ILT20 in seventh.
The Caribbean Premier League, the Abu Dhabi T10 and Bangladesh Premier League come in at eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.
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