 "BCCI plans bigger IPL season from 2028, no new teams for now: Chairman Arun Dhumal")
The Indian Premier League (IPL) could get even bigger in the coming years. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is thinking about expanding the tournament to 94 matches starting from the 2028 cycle. However, fans hoping for new teams will have to wait because the board is not planning to add any more franchises anytime soon.
The IPL currently has 74 matches every season. It expanded to this format from their earlier 60-game tournament in 2022 after Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants joined the league. There were talks about going up to 84 matches by 2025, but those plans have been pushed back because of scheduling problems with the International Cricket Council (ICC).
BCCI wants to expand IPL to 94 games
Right now, the IPL’s window is fixed in the Future Tours Programme (FTP) until 2027, running from mid-March to the end of May. But BCCI and IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has confirmed they are seriously considering a full home-and-away format with 94 matches once the next media rights cycle starts in 2028.
“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 ESPNcricinfo.
Dhumal also said they would need a longer IPL window to make it happen, and while it’s not possible right now because of international commitments, it could happen in the future.
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," he said.
“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,” Dhumal added.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsNo new franchises, focus on quality
Despite lots of investor interest in owning IPL teams, the BCCI is not looking to add more franchises right now. “Ten is a good number for now. Paramount is the interest in the tournament and the quality of cricket that we play… I don’t see any scope in the short term. Going forward, with how this whole landscape evolves, we’ll take a call accordingly.”
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
