PSL cost grows 505 percent: Economic truth bursts hoax cushioned in fabricated lie

Pakistan Super League 2025 (Source: AFP) 

Just a few backs, Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Habib Bank Limited (HBL) came up together to announce the renewal of their partnership. This announcement further translates into the fact that the upcoming two editions of Pakistan’s premier franchise tournament under the HBL’s title sponsorship. 

Meanwhile, the PSL decision-makers also claimed that the value of PSL’s title sponsorship has also seen a growth of 505 percent compared to that of in the tournament’s inaugural edition nine years back in 2016. 

Hence, here’s a deep dive into the dynamics of growth in PSL’s sponsorship cost over the years and a dissection of these claims made by the administrators. 

Does ‘505% growth’ claims really have ground or just a lie to hide embarrassment? 

PSL started in 2016, with Habib Bank Limited getting title sponsorship for the first three editions of the tournament from 2016 to 2018. It was in December 2015 when HBL acquired the sponsorship. Furthermore, this partnership was renewed again for the succeeding three more seasons from 2019 to 2021. 

Most of the market players getting left behind in the contest to bid for the title sponsorship paved the way for the HBL to acquire it once again from 2022 to 2025. Now, as the league is set to complete his 10 years with the 11th edition of play, the record partnership with HBL has been extended till 2027 for two more editions. 

PSL's sponsorship cost over the years since inaugral season

Speaking of the numbers, the sponsorship cost of PSL was US $ 5.2 million, which calculated to 54.4 crores Pakistan Rupees. Later, it increased to PKR 214.8 crore (US $ 14.3 million) for 2019 to 2021, followed by PKR 340 crores (US $ 22.2 million during 2022 to 2025. This cost is now claimed to have grown up to 505% of the 2016 deal between PSL and HBL. 

Here’s how the 'growth' lie exposed

But there’s an interesting twist in this entire tale that bursts all the ‘growth’ lies of the PSL authorities. No hurries, let’s break it step by step. Firstly, the sponsorship for PSL was PKR 54.4 crores and the 505% claim takes it to 329.12 crores (US $ 11.76 million) for the upcoming two editions of 2026 and 2027. 

What exposes the PSL authorities and their attempt to keep their cricket fans in the dark is that the PSL’s sponsorship cost for the last cycle of 2022-2025 was PKR 340 crores (US $ 22.2 million, which reduces to US $ 12.15 million owing to the inflation and drowning value of PKR against US Dollar). 

It means that the league’s valuation for the upcoming two editions will be PKR 10.88 crores less than the previous cycle’s valuation of PKR 340 crores. In terms of US dollars, it will be US $ 0.39 million less than the last valuation if we calculate the numbers in context to the present day inflation and currency exchange rates. It also involves the drowning Pakistan economy, which is also reflected in the season-wise valuations of PSL.

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An 'autumn of cricket' featuring faded blossoms 

Apart from dissecting the monetary growth claims with economical and mathematical calculations, there’s something else that makes the cricketing fraternity very clear about the standards of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). 

With that said, it is a direct mention to the fact that PSL mostly features cricketers who are either retired from international cricket or rejected by the franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL), considering ‘no cricket left’ in them. There have been multiple examples testifying this claim, including the likes of former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis, former Aussie batter David Warner and a lot more. 

It will not be an overstatement to say that, PSL is nothing more than an ‘autumn fare of the blossoms that have already faded away from the blooming gardens of cricket’. 

Conclusion: Time for Pakistan cricket to come out of hollow shells 

The Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen taking a distasteful exit from the league and brand value declining with every passing year are the kind of wake-up calls for Pakistan Super League (PSL) administrators to give it a think and try to assess the flaws in the nucleus of the league. 

PSL decision-makers must come out of their sluggish and hollow shells of old-school policies and political interference. It is high time for them to move in the direction of getting some young and innovative minds on board, alongside giving them a creative and innovative freedom for the betterment of the league.

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