Despite its commercial dominance, the Indian Premier League has slipped behind rivals in the latest global T20 rankings, as The Hundred emerged as the top-ranked tournament.
The IPL, widely regarded as the most lucrative and high-profile cricket league, ranked third in the latest World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) assessment, formerly Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA).
The findings suggested that the tournament requires major improvements to secure its place as the top global competition.
According to the global players’ body, the IPL must enhance its approach to player rights and overall welfare.
The league’s ranking reflects concerns that, while commercially dominant, it lags behind its rivals in areas concerning player treatment and conditions.
Leading the standings is England’s newest franchise competition, The Hundred, which secured the top position with a ranking score of 75.2 points.
It is closely followed by South Africa’s SA20, which earned 68 points to take second place.
The IPL received 62.6 points, placing it narrowly ahead of Australia’s Big Bash League, which sits fourth with 62.5 points. Pakistan’s PSL follows in fifth with 48 points.
The remaining places in the top ten feature a range of global tournaments. Major League Cricket occupies sixth, while the ILT20 in the UAE is seventh.
The Caribbean Premier League ranks eighth, followed by the Abu Dhabi T10 in ninth and the Bangladesh Premier League in tenth.
