1 week Ago
According to Arun Singh Dhumal, BCCI will consider a full home-and-away format from the next media-rights cycle. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is actively considering the option of expanding the Indian Premier League (IPL) season to 94 matches from the 2028 edition but has no plans to extend the number of participating teams. As of now, 10 teams face each other in 74 matches for the top prize.
According to a report in ESPN Cricinfo which quoted IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal as saying, BCCI will seriously consider an expansion to a full home-and-away, 94-match format for the next media rights cycle, which will start in 2028. “Definitely, that might be an opportunity," Dhumal said. “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. “Ideally, we’d want a larger window or 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 to go from 74 to 84 [in 2025], but whenever we think that the time is opportune, we’ll take that call," he added.
‘New champion?’ The ongoing 2025 edition of the IPL has been a thrilling one, and all 10 teams are still alive in the race to qualify for the playoffs. According to Dhumal, he wants to see a new champion this year because it will be good for the IPL. “Every year, it’s (IPL) been growing," Dhumal said.
“We are very glad how the fans have loved this tournament, and the broadcast numbers and in-stadia numbers are all phenomenal. We are hoping to carry on with this being a special edition, the 18th edition. We are very sure that it’ll continue to grow in the way we’ve seen over the last 17 years.
“Definitely, I would want somebody who has never won the tournament to lift the trophy this year. DC has done exceptionally well over the last few years, but they haven’t won. Punjab Kings made it to one final, and RCB, off and on, have done well.
If some of these teams compete against each other in the final, we’ll know for sure that we will have a new winner; then I’ll be very happy for the tournament.".
