THE BCCI’S EARLIER INTENTION to expand the IPL to a 94-match league from the 2027 season has officially been put on the backburner.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, speaking to PTI, said this wouldn’t be possible given the packed cricket calendar.
It bears noting that when the BCCI issued an invitation to tender (ITT) for IPL’s 2023-27 media rights cycle in March 2022, a total of 410 matches were to be played in the cycle, with the final year to expand to a 94-match league.
For the record, since the IPL became a 10-team tournament in 2022, it has been played over 74 games, with each team meeting one set of opponents once and others twice. A 94-game IPL would see the expansion of the league to a full double-round-robin format.
“… [T]hat is not feasible right at this moment because we have to consider many other factors regarding various players coming from various nations,” Saikia said. “With lot of difficulties we are getting this two months window.
“It will be very difficult to go beyond two months because other countries also have to pay bilateral matches… So at this moment there is no discussion regarding increasing matches from 74 to 94. Not happening immediately.”
Saikia did not rule out a future expansion, however.
“In course of later years, I do not know what will be the position but right at this moment, I don’t see any possibility of increasing it from 74 to 94 [matches] because for that it is not only India that is to be considered but also the interest of other cricketing nations of the ICC especially players from Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies.
Early start to IPL to circumvent extreme summer heat
Saikia also told the newswire that the Indian cricket board is pondering an early March start to the IPL from the next season, in an effort to minimise the number of matches played in extreme summer conditions.
The board secretary revealed that the board is considering running the IPL from around March 10 to May 15. In 2024, the IPL had informed the franchises of the window for the next three seasons and the 2027 edition was pencilled in from March 14 to May 30.
“This year, IPL started around March 29 [28], and it was over by May 31,” Saikia told PTI. “Only thing which we are discussing is that during the fag end of the tournament after May 15… there is apprehension of having rainfall or pre-monsoon season starting.
“On the other hand, there is hot weather which is not very conducive either for the players or for the crowds.
“So therefore, there is a discussion going on in BCCI as well as in our IPL governing council regarding whether we can start the tournament a little bit earlier than the fag end of March.
“From next year, we will make an effort and I have already instructed our general manager (games development) [former India fast bowler Abey Kuruvilla] to look for the windows, whether we can start it by 10th of March and conclude it by 15th of May. So that there are no adverse weather conditions in the run-up to the playoffs and the finals of IPL 2027, which will be the 20th edition.”
Saikia said he has heard complaints from players and fans about the extreme weather conditions towards the end of IPL seasons.
“I’m hearing a lot of complaints from the fans as well as from the players, because not all players are very well-equipped or well-acclimatised to play in such hot conditions,” he said. “So, to provide a pleasant atmosphere for the tournament, we want to close it by 15th of May.
“That is our first goal now, and that is the prime area of concern for the next year’s 20th edition of IPL, which will be a big event.”
