The Indian Premier League (IPL) stands as the richest cricket league globally, attracting players from across the world to participate in a two-and-a-half-month summer spectacle of nonstop cricket and entertainment in India.
Its reputation as the wealthiest league remains unchallenged, but recent reports suggested Saudi Arabia might be preparing to rival this dominance.
Saudi Arabia has long maintained ties with the IPL, often promoting itself during the tournament. Speculation arose that the Kingdom was planning to launch a cricket league richer than the IPL.
However, His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Mishaal Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF), dismissed these rumors during the IPL 2025 auction held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the first time.
“The news is incorrect,” said Prince Saud. “The country has no plans to start a cricket league of such scale.” While refuting the reports, he welcomed the possibility of hosting IPL games in Saudi Arabia in the future. Discussions with the BCCI and the Saudi Government on this matter are expected to follow.
“The IPL auction is a significant first step and will help fast-track some of our plans. Hosting it wouldn’t have been possible without the strong support from the Saudi Government and Mr. Jay Shah (the BCCI secretary),” the Prince shared.
Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the IPL auction marks a deepening relationship between the Kingdom and the IPL, with ambitions to further develop cricket in the region.