The IPL has ten teams to the PSL’s eight, a salary cap of INR 120 crore to the PSL’s PKR 45 crore purse, and a champion’s prize of INR 20 crore (US$2.5 million) against the PSL’s US$500,000. Both cap overseas players in a playing XI at four; the PSL required three to four in PSL 11. The IPL began in 2008 and the PSL in 2016.
Last checked 26 October 2026.
How do the PSL and IPL compare?
| Item | PSL | IPL |
|---|---|---|
| Teams | 8 (2026) | 10 |
| First season | 2016 | 2008 |
| Format | PSL 11: two groups of four, 10 matches each, then four playoff matches | Double round robin, then playoffs |
| Typical window | March to May (2026: 26 March to 3 May) | March to May |
| Salary cap or purse | PKR 45 crore (PSL 11), up to 50.5 crore with a direct signing | INR 120 crore (2025), at least 75 percent to be spent |
| Squad size | 16 to 20, with 5 to 7 overseas | 18 to 25, with up to 8 overseas |
| Overseas players in the XI | 3 to 4 | Up to 4 (3 if an overseas impact player is used) |
| Champion prize | US$500,000 | INR 20 crore (US$2.5 million) in 2026 |
| Title sponsor | HBL; 2026-27 amount not disclosed | Tata Group, 2024 to 2028, estimated INR 500 crore (US$52 million) a year |
| Media rights | PKR 26.11 billion for 2026 to 2029 (outside India) | About US$6.4 billion for four seasons, sold in 2023 |
| Most titles | Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars, 3 each | Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, 5 each |
| Latest final | Peshawar Zalmi won by 5 wickets (2026) | Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 5 wickets (2026) |
What do the differences mean?
On the sources’ own dollar figures, the IPL champion’s prize is five times the PSL’s (US$2.5 million against US$0.5 million). The IPL title sponsorship is estimated at US$52 million a year, while the PSL’s HBL deal was listed at US$22.2 million a year for 2022 to 2025 with the 2026-27 figure undisclosed, so the years do not match. The IPL also allows larger squads and up to eight overseas players, where the PSL allows five to seven.
Conversions into US dollars are the sources’ own and use different exchange rates, so treat them as approximate. The IPL purse and sponsorship are 2025 and 2024 to 2028 figures; the PSL’s are from 2026. Compare the leagues on our comparison hub, and read the PSL’s own auction rules, prize money and sponsors pages.