Jun 30, 2023
The popularity of cricket cannot be denied. There are over 2 billion fans from all over the world that tune in to watch the latest and greatest cricket teams compete in the international scale. However, international games are not the only ones that draw attention. Like football, cricket has its own series of national leagues. And in this article, we would like to go over the most popular and beloved cricket leagues in the world.
The Indian Premier League
In India, cricket is the dominant sport, more so even than football, rugby, and basketball. The sport came to India in the 19th century, during the age of British Rule. Since then, the popularity of cricket has continued to grow, and today, India is one of the most successful countries on the international scene.
And, of course, the Indian Premier League is one of the most successful cricket leagues, drawing hundreds, if not thousands of bettors from all over the world. Whether you want to try your hand at crypto sports betting, or go a more traditional route, the IPL is probably where you should start.
The IPL consists of ten teams from all over India. However, two teams stand above the rest. The Chennai Super Kings are the current champions, having won their fifth title in 2023. On the other hand, the Mumbai Kings also hold five titles, winning their fifth championship in 2020.
The Big Bash League
Cricket began in England in the 13th century. And in the Colonial Age, the British Empire spread it across the world, bringing it to Australia, where it still enjoys immense popularity today. And there is no bigger proof of that than the KFC Big Bash League.
The Australian Big Bash League began in 2011, and has been going uninterrupted annually ever since. Next to the IPL, the Big Bash is the biggest and most watched cricket league in the world. The tournament is played in the Twenty20 cricket format.
Unlike the IPL, only eight teams compete in the Big Bash League. Out of those eight, the Perth Scorchers are the most successful, having won five championships thus far. They are also the current champions, having won the most recent, 12th iteration of the tournament. Chris Lynn and Sean Abbott are two of the most successful players in the Big Bash League.
Caribbean Premier League
The youngest national cricket league on this list, the Caribbean Premier League established in 2013, with the latest edition occurring in 2022. Administered by Cricket West Indies, the CPL is another Twenty20 format tournament, usually structured as a double round-robin game with playoffs.
There are six teams that compete in the Caribbean Premier League, and they are the following:
- Barbados Royals, captained by Kyle Mayers
- Guyana Amazon warriors, captained by Shimron Hetmyer
- Jamaica Tallawahs, captained by Rovman Powell
- St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, captained by Dwayne Bravo
- Saint Lucia Kings, captained by Faf du Plessis
- Trinbago Knight Riders, captained by Kieron Pollard
Of the six teams, the Trinbago Knight Riders are the most successful. They’ve won four titles thus far, with their latest one coming in 2020. As for current champions, the Jamaica Tallawahs hold the current title. It is the team’s third title, making them the second most successful team in the league.
Conclusion & Honorable Mentions
The three leagues discussed in this article are certainly successful, and immensely popular. However, there are other cricket tournaments around the world that have earned quite a bit of popularity. Whether it be the Pakistan Super League, the English/Welsh Vitality Blast, or the Abu Dhabi League, all of these tournaments are immensely successful.