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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) intends to expand the Indian Premier League (IPL) by adding more games, according to IPL chairman Arun Dhumal.
New Delhi: The 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) season saw an increase in matches from the previous format, following the addition of two new teams, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) initially aimed for an 84-match schedule by 2025, this was postponed due to scheduling conflicts and broadcaster concerns about excessive double-header matches. Future expansion of the IPL remains a possibility, but no further teams will be added at this time.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) will be held from mid-March to late May for the next two seasons. While the current format remains unchanged, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is exploring a potential expansion to a 94-match home-and-away format starting in 2028, coinciding with the next media rights cycle.
“Definitely, that might be an opportunity. “We’ve been discussing in ICC, we’ve been discussing in-house in BCCI. Given how the interest of the fan is changing with regard to bilateral and ICC events, in regard to franchise cricket and T20 cricket, we’ll have to talk more seriously about it and see how we can create maximum value for the stakeholders of the game” Dhumal told ESPN Cricinfo
BCCI’s decision to increase the number of IPL matches in future editions, and the reasoning behind not doing so for the 18th edition, were explained by Dhumal.
“Ideally, we’d want a larger window, or to maybe go on from 74 to 84 or 94 at some point… So that every team gets to play against every team home and away, for that, you need 94 games. “Given the window and the kind of commitments that we have with regards to bilateral cricket and ICC events, that may not be possible in the short term. But given the landscape, how it is changing and evolving over the years, maybe at some point in time we would look and take that option. “There’s been so much cricket: we came back from Australia from a Test series, we had this Champions Trophy, and on top of that we have this IPL. That is why it was decided that it doesn’t make sense from going from 74 to 84 [in 2025], but whenever we think that the time is opportune, we’ll take that call.”
Discussions regarding the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) scheduling, specifically its length, are planned for next year’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) negotiations. While several IPL franchises favor a 94-match season, expansion hinges on securing broadcaster support, particularly given the recent Reliance-Disney merger and the formation of JioStar.
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