Why is PSL better than IPL? PSL team owner made gallant claim

The Indian Premier League is the undisputed king in the League kingdom of cricket, given the amount paid to the participating players. So far, the quality of the league has been undaunted across the world until a Pakistani Super League team owner, Atif Rana, confidently claimed that PSL is better than IPl.

A politician by profession, Atif Rana owns the team Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan  Super League. He recently had a chat with pakistan's Geo News, where he said that it's the draft system of PSL that keeps the league higher than IPL.

Notably, IPL follows the auction method, while PSL has taken inspiration from the American Leagues, by introducing the categories. Speaking to Geo News, Rana said,

“Our cricketing talent and our competition are better than any other league. If you look at it purely cricket-wise, the PSL is the number one league in the world — and why is that? Because of the draft system. The teams stay competitive, and look at the last four finals: all were decided in the last over or on the last ball. So I believe it’s because of this draft system that the league has maintained its quality and balance.”

How is the IPL auction different from the PSL drafts?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL) follow different player acquisition models. The IPL operates through an open auction, where franchises bid competitively for players, resulting in dynamic market-driven valuations and higher salaries supported by a large team purse of around ₹100 crore or more.

Read also: IPL vs PSL 2026: Franchise Valuation Comparison

In contrast, the PSL uses a draft system in which teams select players in a fixed order from predefined salary categories such as Platinum, Diamond, and Gold. The PSL draft prioritizes financial parity and talent distribution, while the IPL auction emphasizes competition, budget strategy, and market value discovery.

Quality over money, Rana argues

Speaking about why PSL drafts are better, Atif Rana highlighted that money is not the only thing that matters. He stressed the quality of players and not individual brands or players. The concerned party of the entire package is the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Even though auctions are lucrative, Atif feels that PSL pays better in comparison to other leagues. He said,

"It’s not about individuals or brands, it’s about the PSL. We are all PSL fans — players, owners, PCB — everyone grows the PSL together. So tell me, what exactly has gone wrong with the draft? What snake has come out of it that people are so scared? The money we already pay, compared to many other leagues, is still very good."

Despite not having a huge money bank, big names like Rashid Khan, and Tim David played in a much lower economy slate compared to the IPL. Even according to Atif, Harry Brook got his maiden IPL call (which he declined later) after he played in the PSL. 

With time, as per Atif, PCB learned that forcefully increasing the money may negatively affect the League. He added,

"And this idea that if you forcefully change the system and pay more money, bigger players will automatically come, that’s not how it works. Our experience over time shows that clearly. Big players have played with us... So it’s not about pricing, it’s about the product. The PSL product, the standard set by our draft — why change it just for the sake of change? What’s the benefit of that?”