The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) plans to increase the Indian Premier League by 20 additional matches, according to IPL chairman Arun Dhumal. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Dhumal mentioned that these changes are expected to take effect by 2028, coinciding with the start of the next media rights cycle.
The IPL, one of the most lucrative tournaments in global cricket, already has a designated slot in the International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme (FTP). These proposed changes to the IPL are likely to have an impact on the international cricket calendar.
For instance, in 2024, players had to rush in groups to the USA and the Caribbean for the T20 World Cup, leaving little time for team preparation. Dhumal confirmed this development in the interview, providing further insight into the reasoning behind it.
At present, the IPL features two groups: A and B. Teams in Group A play two matches against each other and one against teams in Group B. The new plan aims to implement a full home-and-away format, which will result in an additional 20 matches starting in 2028.
🚨 94 MATCHES IN IPL 🚨
– IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal says BCCI will seriously consider a full Home & away from the next media Right cycle from 2028 but no plans to introduce new teams in near future. [Espn Cricinfo] pic.twitter.com/3rEFdXvxSe
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 28, 2025
“We’ve been discussing the evolving fan interest in franchise and T20 cricket, both within the ICC and BCCI, and will seriously explore ways to create maximum value for stakeholders. Ideally, we’d want a larger window, or maybe go 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,” Arun Dhumal stated.
Global Shift to Franchise System; BCCI to Evaluate IPL Expansion
World cricket is increasingly moving towards a franchise-based model, with countries like India, Australia, Pakistan, England, South Africa, and even the United States having their own homegrown T20 leagues. Arun Dhumal mentioned that expanding the IPL to 94 matches is not a short-term goal, and the BCCI will make a decision in the coming years after assessing the plan’s feasibility.
“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,” Dhumal 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 to go from 74 to 84 [in 2025], but whenever we think that the time is opportune, we’ll take that call,” the IPL chairman concluded.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
