Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has said that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is on track to become the top franchise league in the world even if it runs at the same time as the Indian Premier League in 2026.The PSL is being played behind closed doors at two venues this season due to the fuel crisis in Pakistan. In contrast, the IPL is played at multiple venues with spectators.
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Inside the Pakistani camp What is Naqvi’s problem Naqvi said during the PCB Board of Governors meeting that PSL has become a key platform for investment and is on track for further growth.“PSL has now become the best market for investment,” Naqvi said. “The time is not far when PSL will become the number one league in the world,” he added.The Board of Governors also took note of the franchise auction for PSL 2026, which it said received a strong response. Naqvi said the interest from investors reflects confidence in the future of Pakistan cricket.At the same time, there is a gap between PSL and IPL in financial terms. The IPL media rights are valued at more than US$6 billion, while the PSL rights are around US$93 million. The IPL’s annual revenue is more than US$1 billion compared to an estimated US$50-60 million for the PSL.The PSL 2026 season has also seen problems off the pitch. Lahore Qalandars were penalized five runs in the match for a ball-tampering incident. Fakhar Zaman was later found guilty and banned for two matches.In another case, Shaheen Afridi and Sikandar Raza were accused of bringing unauthorized visitors to the team hotel. The police called it a violation and Afridi was fined under the code of conduct.Naseem Shah was also fined PKR 20 million for a social media post criticizing politician Maryam Nawaz. He later said the post was made without his knowledge, but the PCB fined him.
