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Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has secured a landmark contract with Sydney Sixers for the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26, marking his maiden stint in Australia’s premier T20 competition. The deal, one of the most lucrative in BBL history, cements Babar’s status as one of the world’s most sought-after T20 cricketers. However, even this impressive payday falls well short of the record-breaking earnings of India’s Rishabh Pant in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year.
Babar’s Big Bash breakthrough
The Sydney Sixers announced Babar’s signing as a pre-draft international recruit, making him the centerpiece of their overseas lineup for BBL 15. The 30-year-old, with over 10,000 international runs and a string of accolades including ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year (2022), will join the likes of Steve Smith and Moises Henriques as the Sixers look to reclaim the BBL crown.
Babar’s contract is reported to be worth nearly PKR 10 crore (approx. AUD 420,000), placing him in the Platinum salary bracket—the highest grade for overseas players in the BBL. This makes him one of the top-paid players in the league’s history and a marquee signing for the Sixers, who were the only franchise yet to pre-sign an overseas player before the draft.
Salary structure of BBL
The BBL’s international salary tiers for 2025 are as follows:
- Platinum: AUD 360,000–420,000 (approx. ₹2–2.36 crore)
- Gold: AUD 300,000 (approx. ₹1.68 crore)
- Silver: AUD 200,000 (approx. ₹1.12 crore)
- Bronze: AUD 100,000 (approx. ₹56 lakh)
Babar’s deal not only tops the Platinum bracket but also sets a new benchmark for Pakistani players in the league, with contemporaries like Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan also expected to command top-tier contracts.
Also READ: Tammy Beaumont to Laura Wolvaardt – Full list of overseas players selected in the WBBL|11 draft
Rishabh Pant’s IPL record still unmatched
Despite Babar’s record BBL deal, his earnings are dwarfed by Pant’s IPL contract. In the IPL 2025 mega auction, Pant was snapped up by Lucknow Super Giants for a staggering ₹27 crore, the highest salary ever for an IPL player. Even after taxes and deductions, Pant’s in-hand salary stands at ₹15.52 crore—nearly eight times what Babar will make in the BBL.
Pant’s IPL paycheck not only reflects the financial might of the Indian league but also underscores the gulf between IPL and other T20 tournaments when it comes to player remuneration.
Also READ: From Shaheen Afridi to Sam Curran – Full list of overseas players selected in the BBL|15 draft
