South Africa's Rilee Rossouw, who has been part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and is currently playing for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2026), has stated that he prefers the PSL over the IPL, as it is a shorter tournament.

This is the second year when the IPL and PSL are clashing, and while the IPL is happening in full swing, the PSL is being played behind closed doors at two venues to conserve fuel amidst the ongoing clash in West Asia.

These two leagues are often compared together. The PSL has lost several overseas players after IPL franchises nominated them as replacements for injured players, prompting the PCB to consider legal action against the defaulters.

As the two leagues continue, controversy has erupted over which provides superior competition. South African cricketer Rilee Rossouw offered a contrary opinion, saying the PSL offers fiercer competition. This is the opposite of the general notion that the IPL is bigger and better than the PSL.

“Both leagues have their pros and cons. IPL is a very long tournament, and PSL is a much more compact tournament where the competition is a lot more fierce. The IPL obviously has the whole of Bollywood behind it, so it's a lot more of a movie than actual cricket. Both of them have their pros and cons,” Russouw said.

Rossouw appeared in 22 IPL matches, accumulating 473 runs at a strike rate of 153.57, including a top score of 82 not out. He made his league debut in 2014 and last competed in the event two years ago, in 2024.

Australian spinner Adam Zampa has previously indicated why he favors the PSL over the IPL, stating that he opted out of the latter's auction because he doesn’t feel the compensation he receives in the IPL is equal to his talent level.

"I pulled out of the IPL this year. To be brutally honest, for someone with my skill set, I just don’t get the money that others with other skill sets do. And for the amount of time that the IPL takes, it just didn’t seem like a reasonable choice for me to keep playing it. I was going to have a break, but PSL was on the radar about a month ago. It all happened pretty quickly, but I’m enjoying it,” Zampa said on the ARY Podcast.

Zampa, who is currently representing the Karachi Kings in the PSL, has played 22 matches in the IPL for four different franchises.