How much SA20 prize money is worth in comparison to IPL and other leagues?

SA20 2023 Final. (Photo Source: Twitter)

South Africa’s premier T20 competition – SA20 gained immense popularity after the inaugural season in 2023 turned out to be a resounding success story. The second season gets underway on Wednesday, January 10, as defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape lock horns with Joburg Super Kings in Gqeberha.

Fans are waiting for the second edition of the six-team league with bated breath. A lot of cash is involved in this league. A common question in the cricket world is where this league, held in the Rainbow Nation, ranks among the other global leagues around the world in terms of monetary influx, especially the Indian Premier League (IPL).

For the unversed, the winning team in IPL 2023, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), received a prize money of Rs 20 crores. The runner-up team, Gujarat Titans (GT) earned Rs 13 crore. Meanwhile, the second edition of the SA20 will see the winning team getting a prize money of 34 million rand (Rs 15 crore approx). The runner-up team will claim 16.25 million rand (Rs 7.2 crore approx) share of the prize money.

The prize money for the winning team in the IPL has been Rs 20 crore for the past three seasons. In IPL 2020, the winning prize money was Rs 10 crore before being doubled the following year. Meanwhile, the prize money for the runner-up team has been Rs 13 crore since IPL 2022.

Currently, Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) showpiece event stands only second to the IPL when it comes to the winner’s prize money. The cricket governing board of South Africa is trying its best to take its league to the top. Notably, the winner’s prize money was Rs 15 crore last year as well.

Where does PSL stand with IPL and SA20 in terms of winners and runners-up prize money?

Meanwhile, another popular franchise league – the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a fair bit away from the IPL and SA20 as far as prize money shares are concerned. In PSL 2023, Lahore Qalandars bagged PKR 120 million (INR 3.40 crore approx.) for emerging victorious. Multan Sultans finished runner-up and they had to be content with PKR 48 million (INR 1.36 crore approx.).

The overall prize money on offer for the teams in IPL 2023 was Rs 46.50 crore. Meanwhile, PSL 2023 had a prize money of 168 million PKR (Rs 4.76 crore approx.). SA20 2024, on the other hand, has a prize pool worth R70 million (Rs 31.1 crore).