'More Bollywood Movie Than Cricket' Ex-RCB, DC, PBKS Star Takes Dig at IPL, Praises PSL

Rilee Rossouw, a former IPL player, has thrown a shot in the IPL versus PSL debate. The South African batsman, a regular in the PSL now, claims the IPL is "more of a movie than actual cricket".

Rossouw has appeared in both leagues over the years and is a veteran of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) where he has played for sides like Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans, over many seasons. He reignited the debate after suggesting the IPL is "more of a movie than actual cricket", with both leagues competing in the same time slot this year.

Rossouw said:

"IPL is a very long tournament, and PSL is a much more compact tournament where the competition is a lot more fierce. IPL obviously has the whole Bollywood behind it, so it's a lot more of a movie than actual cricket."

IPL Career and Minimal Impact

Rossouw enjoyed just brief stints at the IPL, featuring in five games for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2014 and 2015, scoring 53 runs at a rather modest average of 10.60.

He enjoyed more success in 2023, representing the Delhi Capitals before moving on to Punjab Kings in the IPL 2024 season. The batter recorded a decent tally of 209 runs in nine games for Delhi and 211 in eight for Punjab. The South African also chipped in with a couple of half-centuries while maintaining a strike rate of over 150.

However, he has never been a regular in an IPL lineup which makes his comments all the more noteworthy.

Brilliant record in PSL

The left-hander has enjoyed a much more success in the PSL and is one match shy of playing 100 games in the league.

In the PSL, he has scored 2366 runs and his career best season was in 2022/23 when playing for Multan Sultans as he accumulated 453 runs which contained a century. In his PSL career he has scored 3 centuries and 11 half centuries.

Across the PSL career, his strike rate has been maintained at anywhere between 150 and 170, which proves he is a good T20 player and also has shown form already this season with his fifty against Rawalpindiz. His recent comments have fueled the flames further between IPL vs PSL, with fans and commentators sharing various views.