‘PSL can never match IPL’: Ex- India cricketer reacts as Ramiz Raza reveals PCB’s future plan

Earlier this week Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raza said that he wishes to bring Pakistan Super League T20 in the same bracket of Indian Premier League (IPL) to “elevate the concept of PSL”.

“The market forces are conducive, but we’ll sit down with the franchise owners to discuss it. This is a game of money. When the cricket economy grows in Pakistan, our respect will rise. The main driver of that financial economy is the PSL. If we take the PSL to auction model, increase the purse, then I’ll put it in the IPL bracket. And then we’ll see who goes to play the IPL over the PSL,” Ramiz had said.

Also Read: Watch: Haris Rauf slaps teammate Kamran Ghulam for dropping catch in PSL

Former India opener turned cricket expert Aakash Chopra, reacting to Ramiz’s statement, said even if there is an auction in the PSL, it can’t attain the stature of IPL. Chopra said in the PSL no player is going to get sold for Rs 16 crore because the market dynamics “are not going to allow that to happen.” In the IPL 2022 auction, Ishan Kishan turned out to be the most expensive buy as Mumbai Indians bought him for a whopping Rs 15.25 crore. In ISL 2021, Rajasthan Royals bought South Africa’s Chris Morris for Rs 16 crore.

“There’s money from selling rights; on the basis of that, you analyse the value of the league and the value of the teams. Then, you divide the purse and start the league, whether by auction or by draft. Ramiz bhai says that if there’s an auction in the PSL, the price limit will increase which is the case. But you won’t see a player being sold for ₹16 crore in PSL. It is not possible. Market dynamics are not going to allow that to happen. It’s as simple as that,” said Chopra on his official YouTube channel.

“The biggest advantage for IPL is that people who watch the game, they’re the ones who pay a lot of money. Our population of 130 crores is an asset,” added Chopra.

Further putting his point, Aakash said that the number of people watching the league is the biggest driving force behind the value of a league.

Also Read: Shoaib Akhtar shares photo of fan holding Virat Kohli poster during PSL match

“You don’t have 100 crore people. Suppose Rohit Sharma plays in the PSL. Do you think the broadcaster, who was, let’s assume, earlier paying 7000 crores, will suddenly increase the money to ₹35,000 crore? It isn’t as if more people in Pakistan will start watching because a Virat Kohli or a Rohit Sharma is playing in PSL. You can maybe consider a 10 percent increase in viewership from the NRIs, but that is not going to suddenly increase your valuation,” said Aakash.

The 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League will begin on March 26, when MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings meet the Shreyas Iyer-led Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai. The 15th edition of the league sees the arrival of two new franchises to the tournament; Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans