New Delhi, Dec. 18 -- The recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) auction has cast a severe blow on the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) as several prominent names are set to miss the tournament across the border. With the T20 World Cup taking the centre stage at the start of the year, dates of both IPL and PSL are set to clash.

Having started in 2008, IPL has grown in stature to become the most competitive and richest franchise league globally. On the other hand, PSL, who set the ball rolling in 2016, is yet to gain popularity as compared to that off IPL. Normally, a PSL would start in February and finish in March.

But the T20 World Cup 2026 occupying that window, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had no option but to start i...