MUMBAI: Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jay Shah has reiterated earlier comments that the Indian Premier League will have an extended two-and-a-half month window in the next international calendar to allow all the world’s top players to participate in the world’s richest annual cricketing event.
“We are in discussions with the ICC (International Cricket Council) and several other cricket boards to have an exclusive window for the IPL,” Shah told Reuters.
“Let me assure you that there will be a two-and-a-half-month window in the next ICC FTP (Future Tours Programme) calendar so that all top international players can participate. “Since this tournament benefits all… we have received a positive response from the ICC and other member boards,” Shah noted.
The IPL is currently playing out for over two months, during which time international cricket effectively comes to a halt. The league will go from the current 74 matches per season to 94 in 2027. The governing ICC is expected to discuss the 2024-2031 FTP calendar next month.
The world’s richest board saw its coffers boosted by $6.2 billion (at current rupee-US dollar exchange rates) earlier this month from the sale of the IPL’s media rights for the next five years.
Shah dismissed suggestions that extending the IPL window would disrupt India’s commitment to international cricket. “The BCCI remains committed to international cricket and it’s not just the marquee series like India v England or India v Australia,” he told the newswire.
“We want to design a comprehensive calendar where we aim to help associate nations with consistent and regular bilateral tours.”
