1. Number of Teams

• Indian Premier League (IPL) began with 8 teams in 2008 and expanded to 10 teams in 2022.

• Women’s Premier League (WPL) started with 5 teams and is yet to expand.

2. Squad Size & Composition

• IPL teams can have up to 25 players, with a maximum of 8 overseas players in the squad.

• WPL teams have a smaller squad size, with a maximum of 18 players, including up to 6 overseas players.

3. Playing XI Rules

• In IPL, a team can field a maximum of 4 overseas players in the playing XI.

• In WPL, a team can field 4 overseas players, with an additional slot available for a player from an Associate Nation (such as UAE, USA, or Scotland).

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4. Tournament duration and location

• IPL runs for nearly two months (from March 22 to May 25 in 2025) and follows a home-and-away format across multiple cities. A total of 72 matches will be played in the 2025 season, with the number possibly increasing in future editions.

• WPL is a shorter tournament, lasting around a month (from February 14 to March 15 in 2025). It was initially held in a single city (Bengaluru), expanded to two cities (Bengaluru and Delhi) in 2024, and further extended to four cities—Vadodara, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Mumbai—in 2025. The 2025 WPL season will feature 22 matches.

5. Tournament Format

• IPL follows a unique format where ten teams are split into two groups of five. Each team plays 14 league matches: twice against its group members, twice against a designated team from the other group, and once against the remaining four from the other group.

  

  The top four teams advance to the playoffs. The top two teams compete in Qualifier 1, with the winner securing a direct spot in the final. The third and fourth-placed teams play in the Eliminator, and the winner of this match moves on to Qualifier 2, where they face the loser of Qualifier 1 for a place in the final.

  When the IPL had eight teams, each team played every other team twice in a double round-robin format, totaling 14 matches per team. With the addition of two new teams, the BCCI introduced this revised format to balance the schedule and manage player workload.

• In the WPL, each team plays eight matches in a double round-robin format during the league stage, facing every other team twice. The team that finishes first in the league stage directly qualifies for the final, while the second and third-placed teams compete in an Eliminator to determine the second finalist.

6. Auction Budget & Player Salaries

• IPL franchises have a much larger auction purse (INR 120 crore in 2025). The top players earn Rs. 15-20 crore+ per season. The highest paid cricketer of IPL is Rishabh Pant earning Rs. 27.00 crore during the 2025 auction.

• WPL teams have a smaller budget (INR 15 crore in 2025). The highest-paid WPL player so far is Smriti Mandhana (INR 3.4 crore in 2023)—significantly lower than top IPL salaries.

7. Financial Scale & Revenue

• IPL is one of the wealthiest sports leagues in the world, with television and digital media rights deals worth INR 48,390 crore (2023-27 cycle).

• WPL’s television and digital media rights were sold for INR 951 crore (2023-27 cycle)—a promising start but much smaller than IPL’s valuation.

8. Fan Following & Viewership

• IPL boasts a massive global audience, with millions tuning in every season. The 2023 IPL final alone attracted 505 million television viewers, while in 2024, JioCinema’s IPL coverage reached 620 million viewers.

• WPL, though still in its early stages, has shown impressive growth. In 2024, it recorded a cumulative TV viewership of 149 million and 109 million viewers on digital platforms. The first match of WPL 2025 alone was watched by 30 million viewers on TV.

9. Expansion & Growth Potential

• The IPL has expanded over the years, adding Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans in 2022, bringing the total number of teams to ten.

• The WPL is set to grow, with more teams likely in future seasons, but expansion hinges on a deeper pool of quality Indian women cricketers.

10. Impact and Cultural Significance

• IPL revolutionized cricket, blending sports with entertainment, and significantly influencing global T20 leagues with its franchise owners investing in them all across the cricketing world.

• WPL is slowly transforming women’s cricket by providing a professional platform, inspiring a new generation of female cricketers, and promoting gender equality in sports.

While still in its early stages, the WPL has the potential to revolutionize women’s cricket, much like the IPL did for men’s cricket. With rising investments, sponsorships, and salary caps, it could become the world’s biggest women’s T20 league.

Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has grown from a domestic tournament into a global phenomenon, reshaping the landscape of T20 cricket. It has set the blueprint for other T20 leagues across the world, introduced innovative cricketing rules, and catalysed the growth of the sport in non-traditional regions.

When the IPL launched, skeptics doubted whether a franchise-based T20 league could thrive in a place where cricket is a matter of national pride uniting the whole country. But the IPL’s fusion of cricket, entertainment, and glamour struck a chord with the masses. The league’s success was fueled by India’s rising middle class, increased disposable income, and the boom of satellite TV and internet connectivity. Within a few years, the IPL not only silenced critics but set a new global benchmark, inspiring most of the cricket leagues worldwide in some way or the other.

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Take England’s The Hundred, for example. Launched in 2021, this 100-ball tournament represents a radical shift from traditional formats. While not an exact replica of the IPL, it borrows key elements such as shorter matches, franchise branding, and fan-centric engagement. The league has also attracted significant Indian investment, with four IPL franchises—Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants, SunRisers Hyderabad, and Delhi Capitals—owning stakes in Oval Invincibles, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, and Southern Brave. Notably, two of the remaining four teams are backed by Indian-American tech entrepreneurs, further underscoring India’s expanding influence in global cricket.

Similarly, South Africa’s SA20, launched in 2023, is a direct testament to the IPL’s dominance. All six teams—Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Pretoria Capitals, Paarl Royals, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, and Durban’s Super Giants——are owned by IPL franchises, highlighting the league’s financial muscle. This surge of investment has not only revitalized South African cricket but has also provided a crucial platform for local talent to shine on the global stage.

The Caribbean Premier League (CPL), launched in 2013, has also felt the IPL’s ripple effect. While not as financially powerful as the IPL or SA20, it has attracted significant investment from Indian franchise owners. The Kolkata Knight Riders led the way by acquiring Trinbago Knight Riders, bringing their brand appeal and expertise to the Caribbean. This was followed by Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals owning St. Lucia Kings and Barbados Royals.

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Even the USA, a country traditionally indifferent to cricket, has seen the IPL’s influence. Major League Cricket (MLC), launched in 2023, is backed by several IPL owners: Mumbai Indians (MI New York), Kolkata Knight Riders (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Chennai Super Kings (Texas Super Kings), and Delhi Capitals (Seattle Orcas). While still in its early stages, MLC has the potential to establish cricket in a market dominated by baseball and basketball, thanks to the IPL’s proven formula.

The International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE also follows this trend, with fours of its six teams owned by IPL and WPL (Women’s Premier League) franchise owners.

The Big Bash League (BBL), launched by Cricket Australia in 2011, was the first major T20 league to follow the IPL’s success. While it remains largely independent, its franchise-based model, entertainment-driven approach, and features like strategic timeouts reflect the IPL’s influence. The BBL has also introduced innovations such as the Power Surge, Bash Boost, and X-Factor rule, mirroring the broader impact of the T20 revolution.

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However, unlike other leagues, the BBL has not seen direct IPL franchise investment due to Cricket Australia’s restrictions on foreign ownership. If these barriers were lifted, IPL owners could play a major role in expanding the BBL, just as they have in SA20, MLC, and ILT20.

Several leagues inspired by the IPL's model launched their women’s tournaments early, even before the WPL. Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), England’s The Hundred Women’s Competition, and the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) have all thrived, benefiting from the IPL-driven T20 revolution. The involvement of IPL franchises in these leagues has further professionalized women’s cricket.

Despite this, the WPL finally debuted in 2023—15 years after the IPL’s inception. Modeled after the IPL, it has transformed women’s cricket by offering high-profile exposure, lucrative contracts, and a competitive platform, much like its male counterpart. With growing investment and fan engagement, the WPL seems set to redefine the global landscape of women’s cricket.

The IPL’s financial clout is staggering. In 2022, its media rights sold for a record $6.2 billion, making it the second-most valuable sports league per match, behind only the NFL (The National Football League of USA). This extraordinary amount of revenue can be justified by the number of viewers who watch it - the 2023 IPL final attracted 505 million viewers on television alone. This has allowed IPL stakeholders to invest in infrastructure, player development and payments, and global expansion.

The financial resources have also positioned the IPL as a pioneer in sports technology, consistently enhancing the fan experience. It popularized innovations like Spidercam, ultra-motion replays, and augmented reality (AR) integrations in live broadcasts. While the Decision Review System (DRS) debuted in international cricket, the IPL played a key role in refining and normalizing its usage across formats. Additionally, the league has set new benchmarks in sports analytics and talent scouting, with franchises using advanced data models for player acquisitions and match strategies.

The IPL has also been instrumental in transforming Indian and International cricket by attracting top talent from around the world. It has created a melting pot of cultures and playing styles, raising the game’s overall standard. “Test cricket is amazing with the Ashes and other big series. But if you ask me, the IPL is above everyone—it’s the number one tournament in the world” AB de Villiers, one of the IPL’s most beloved overseas players, once said about the IPL tournament.

Despite its success, the IPL's packed schedule creates a conflict with international cricket. Players face difficult choices, and concerns are growing that franchise cricket is taking precedence over national and international fixtures.

Another debated issue is the BCCI’s restriction on active Indian male cricketers playing in overseas leagues. Interestingly, Indian women cricketers face no such restriction. Since 2016, players like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Shafali Verma have been actively participating in overseas leagues like the WBBL and The Hundred. Looking ahead, the BCCI might also relax its stance for men’s cricketers. This can help them expand their skill sets and enhance their marketability beyond India.

As the IPL continues to expand its global footprint, its influence on cricket is only set to grow. With talks of adding more teams and tapping into new markets, the league is on track to become even more dominant. But with great power comes great responsibility. The challenge now is to strike a balance between commercial success and the long-term health of the sport. Can the IPL sustain its dominance without diluting the essence of cricket? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain—the IPL has already changed the game forever.

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Age fraud , the deliberate misrepresentation of an athlete’s age to gain an unfair advantage, has plagued Indian sports, particularly cricket, for decades. The issue resurfaces repeatedly, casting a shadow over the integrity of the game and the future of young athletes.

In November 2024, six Hyderabad players, including the designated captain of the U19 state team, were banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for age falsification. The players had been selected to represent the state in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, a prestigious national U19 tournament. Parental complaints led to the discovery of this age fraud incident.

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Women’s cricket has also faced similar challenges. In December 2022, just weeks before the inaugural Women’s Under-15 One-Day Tournament, a shocking discovery was made: 14 out of 25 probable players from Karnataka failed the age verification test. Such incidents at regular intervals highlight how deeply entrenched this problem is across genders and age groups.

Age fraud often involves falsifying official documents like birth certificates, school records, or affidavits to make players appear younger than they are. The advantages of manipulating age include extending eligibility for age-restricted competitions, gaining a competitive advantage over younger opponents, securing scholarships, government jobs, reserved educational seats, and even setting new national records.

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Sports such as football, badminton, and athletics are also significantly impacted by age falsification. In many sports, age manipulation has become so normalised that individuals engage in it brazenly, without hesitation.

For instance, in badminton, India’s second-most popular sport, a 2019 petition filed in the Karnataka High Court revealed that several Indian shuttlers, including top players, lacked hospital records to verify their birth certificates. Many claimed to have been born at home, and some offered implausible explanations, such as a player’s father stating that his child was born in an auto-rickshaw en route to the hospital.

A parent of a junior badminton player highlighted the extent of the problem in an Outlook report, describing age-category tournaments as "so adulterated by age fraud that they are like milk with 80 percent water." A striking example from athletics is the 2019 National Inter-District Junior Athletics Meet (NIDJAM) in Tirupati, where 51 athletes were found overage, and 169 others skipped the verification process altogether.

Over the last decade and a half, several initiatives have been introduced to address this issue. The National Code Against Age Fraud in Sports (NCAAFS), introduced in 2010, mandates age verification through various tests. However, its impact has been limited due to the absence of penalties for falsifying age documents. Another contributing factor is the lack of records maintained by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, making it difficult to track habitual offenders.

To address this gap, the government introduced the National Sports Ethics Commission Bill, 2016, proposing criminal penalties for age fraud and related offenses. However, the bill remains pending in Parliament with no clear timeline for discussion.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also established a Sports Integrity Unit in 2014 to address corruption in sports. While it can recommend actions against offenders, it also lacks the authority to take any action.

The BCCI has also taken steps to address age fraud, introducing measures like the Tanner Whitehouse 3 (TW3) method in 2012 to determine an athlete’s age. This method is considered more accurate than the previously used Greulich and Pyle (GP) method, with an accuracy rate of +/- 6 months compared to GP’s +/- 2 years.

However, significant challenges remain. The TW3 method cannot be applied to players older than 16 years, making it ineffective for verifying those who enter the system at the Under-19 or Under-23 levels. Additionally, the test can disadvantage athletes whose naturally high bone density may incorrectly suggest they are older than their actual age.

P.S.M. Chandran, former director of sports sciences at the Sports Authority of India, elaborates on this issue in an article published in The Wire. He highlights the problems arising from over-reliance on bone age tests. According to him, instead of treating fraudulent birth certificates as criminal offences, sports organisations indiscriminately reject both genuine and fake documents. They rely on costly yet scientifically inconclusive age tests, because it creates financial opportunities for those involved in the process.

Rahul Dravid, former head coach and captain of the Indian cricket team, has been one of the most vocal advocates against age fraud. In one of his lectures, he described the ‘scourge of overage players in junior cricket’ as being no different from ‘fixing and corruption.’ Dravid argues that prioritising short-term results not only undermines fairness but also sets a dangerous precedent, teaching young players that dishonesty is acceptable in the pursuit of success.

As Dravid explained, the impact of age fraud is both far-reaching and deeply damaging. It undermines the integrity of the game, deprives deserving players of opportunities, and fosters an unhealthy environment where winning at all costs becomes the norm. For those who commit the fraud, exposure can result in bans, public humiliation, and career setbacks. Meanwhile, honest players often face marginalisation, disillusionment, and, in some cases, an early exit from the sport.

It is also important to recognise that the responsibility for age fraud may not necessarily lie with the players themselves. In many cases, the fraud occurs when they are very young, leaving them unaware of what is happening or the potential consequences. Parents, coaches, and officials often play more significant roles in perpetuating this issue. At times, even parents are unaware of the legal ramifications of their actions. In some instances, age falsification is done for reasons unrelated to advancing a sports career.

Specifically for girls, it has been a common practice in small towns to reduce their recorded age by a few years. "The intention isn’t to provide a sporting advantage but rather to give parents more time to make suitable marriage arrangements for their daughters," says Dharmendra Singh, a cricket enthusiast from Agra.

Some might argue that the lack of strictness by authorities is one of the biggest contributors to the widespread issue of age manipulation in sports. They point to instances like the 2019 relaxation of age fraud rules by the BCCI, which allowed banned players to participate in inter-club matches during the ban. Similarly, in 2020, the BCCI introduced a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme, enabling players to avoid suspension if they admitted to falsifying their birth records. The over-reliance on bone tests for age verification can also be seen as a lenient approach to the issue. While bone tests may help determine a sportsperson’s age, they fail to effectively discourage age fraud, as no one faces criminal prosecution for the offence, and thus the fraud continues.

Aahna Mehrotra, author of Law and Sports in India, advocates for criminal punishment for those involved in age fraud in sports. But, in one of her articles, she stresses that such laws should account for factors like the athlete’s age at the time of the fraud—imposing lighter penalties if the athlete was a minor—and the degree of discrepancy between their real age and the falsified records.

Addressing age fraud requires a collective effort from all stakeholders, including sports bodies, governments, players, and their parents and coaches. In cricket parlance, it calls for a 360-degree approach, much like how modern players such as Suryakumar Yadav play their game. The use of advanced technologies for tamper-proof record-keeping and document verification could significantly assist authorities in tackling this issue. Transparency in the age verification process and public reporting of fraud cases would help build trust among stakeholders and encourage those who reluctantly engage in age fraud to refrain from doing so. Awareness campaigns targeting players, parents, and coaches can further foster a culture of honesty and fair play.

Rahul Dravid said in his lecture that ‘the player who has faked his age might make it at the junior level not necessarily because he is better or more talented, but because he is stronger and bigger. We all know how much of a difference a couple of years can make at that age. That incident will have another ripple effect, an honest player deprived of his place by an overage player, is disillusioned. We run the risk of losing him forever.’

But age fraud causes even more harm than simply depriving an honest player of their rightful place. As renowned cricket coach M.P. Singh explains, ‘Many individuals who engage in age manipulation may excel at the junior level, but they often struggle to meet the demands of cricket once they transition to the senior level. This practice not only undermines individual potential but also harms the nation and the sport by depriving the sport of the best talent.’

Cricket originated in England, but has been spread worldwide by British soldiers and settlers in the past few hundred years. It is now the second most popular sport in the world in terms of number of fans, after soccer. This spread has been most successful in the Indian sub-continent, which is now considered the epicentre of world cricket. This region includes countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), 90% of the world’s cricket fans are from the sub-continent.

History of cricket in the Indian sub-continent

Cricket was introduced to the Indian sub-continent by sailors and traders from the East India Company in the early 18th century. The first recorded cricket match in this region was played between British sailors in western India in 1721.

Introducing English sports and traditions was intended to assert British dominance and cultural superiority. However, Indian elites embraced cricket as a way to gain favour with their rulers. Over time, cricket became popular with the entire population.

Modern popularity

Cricket is now the most popular sport in countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan. Cricket matches between India and Pakistan are considered one of the biggest sporting events in the world, and are regularly watched by nearly half a billion fans. While cricket is also very popular in other successful cricketing nations such as Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom, it does not enjoy the same unrivalled status as it does in the Indian sub-continent.

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Cricket as religion

Cricket is now a hugely important part of the region’s culture and identity. It has the ability to cut across regional, ethnic, social class and religious divides, and unite countries in a way no other sport or cultural institution can.

Indeed, cricket has been described as a religion, particularly in India where it brings people of all faiths and backgrounds together.

While politicians and religious leaders in the region have used the popularity of cricket to their advantage, “cricket diplomacy” has also been used to cool tensions and diplomatic issues, particularly between India and Pakistan. It even has the power to temporarily stop civil wars. In 2007, the Tamil Tigers militant group declared a ceasefire with the government of Sri Lanka for the duration of the Cricket World Cup.

Why is cricket so popular?

Cricket can be played anywhere. In large South Asian cities, it is often played in cramped spaces such as rooftops, markets and busy streets. Variations such as “tape ball cricket” and “street cricket” mean players can simply use a rubbish bin, milk crate, or marks on a wall as the wickets.

The bat can be a stick, and a rubber or tennis ball can be taped to ensure it deviates in the air to make things more challenging for a batter. This softer ball means equipment such as pads and helmets are not needed.

Many of South East Asia’s cricket legends such as Wasim Akram, Sachin Tendulkar, Jhulan Goswami and Diana Edulji first honed their skills in chaotic street games that required quick reflexes and improvisation.

Winning the Cricket World Cup in 1983 (India), 1992 (Pakistan), 1996 (Sri Lanka) and 2011 (India) made cricketers heroes and role models for new generations.

A lack of success in other sports – except India and Pakistan in hockey, particularly during the 20th century – means cricket has little competition for the hearts of sports fans in the region.

Media momentum

Huge media coverage and sponsorship across the sub-continent has ensured significant money and resources have been invested back into cricket. For instance, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has previously earned billions of dollars over a five year period from lucrative television rights. Much of this money is from the Indian Premier League (IPL) – a Twenty20 competition that has quickly become the biggest cricket league in the world. Similar successful (but not as profitable) T20 competitions have been set up in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The majority of the ICC’s revenue now comes from India. Consequently, the BCCI has increasing control over the ICC and its decisions. Additionally, India will be given 38.5% of the ICC’s profits in the 2024-2027 cycle – 105 nations will share the other 61.5%. The BCCI have invested their profits in cricket stadium upgrades, centres of excellence and world class training staff .

While these investments help build future cricket pathways and facilities for the next generation of aspiring Indian cricketers, the ICC profit split has been criticised for making the richest countries richer and missing the chance to grow the game in other countries.

What about women’s cricket?

No women's cricket team from the subcontinent, including India, has won a World Cup in any format to date. However, in 2017, Harmanpreet Kaur's unbeaten 171 in the semi-final against Australia and India's final against England at Lord's marked turning points for women's cricket, not just in India but across the entire subcontinent.

Cricket has the potential to be even more popular in the region if it embraces gender equality. One example of this would be Afghanistan, if the Taliban lifts its current ban on women playing cricket. Countries such as Australia have refused to play men’s cricket matches against Afghanistan until conditions for women and girls improve.

Female cricketers in the Indian sub-continent often have to deal with barriers such as reduced funding and salaries, death threats, sexism and conservative gendered expectations.

However, the success of women’s teams has resulted in increased acceptance of women’s cricket in the Indian sub-continent in recent years. Notable recent initiatives include the BCCI introducing pay parity for male and female cricketers and launching a successful women’s T20 competition, the Women’s Premier League (WPL), in 2023. The recent ICC T20 World Cup was the first time women received the same prize money as their male counterparts. These decisions align with the ICC prioritising the growth of the women’s game.

Continued popularity and growth

The deep passion for the game and continued success of teams from the Indian sub-continent is likely to ensure cricket’s continued popularity.

Cricket is also growing in popularity in countries like the United States, thanks to large Indian communities – in fact, the US co-hosted the 2024 T20 World Cup. The addition of cricket to the Los Angeles Olympic program in 2028, should ensure that sub-continent cricket fans support the popularity of cricket in the years ahead.

Vaughan Cruickshank is a Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania. Brendon Hyndman is a Senior Lecturer in Personal Development, Health & Physical Education, Charles Sturt University.

This article was first published on The Conversation.