New Delhi: The authorities are not only planning to expand the hugely popular Indian Premier League (IPL) after the 2027 season, but are also considering shifting the tournament window to September-October and possibly splitting the event into two phases during the year, according to several reports.
The IPL, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, remains the most lucrative cricket tournament in the world and earns players crores of rupees every season.
How Many Matches Will Be Played?
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has indicated that the number of matches in a season could increase from 74 to 94 so that all 10 teams can play each other fully across 18 league games.
Under the proposed home-and-away format, every team would play nine matches at home and nine away.
Broadcasters Not Happy With Current Format
At present, an IPL season lasts around 60 to 65 days, with each team playing league matches against selected opponents. In the current structure, some teams either do not face certain rivals at all or play only one match against them. Broadcasters are reportedly not entirely satisfied with this format.
Dhumal believes that expanding the season to 94 matches would create greater balance in the tournament, ensure equal competition among all teams and also generate stronger interest from broadcasters.
Why a Bigger Window Is Needed
The IPL chairman also stated that if the tournament expands to 94 matches, a larger window would be necessary.
Fitting 94 games into the existing two-month schedule would lead to frequent double-headers — two matches in a single day — something broadcasters are reportedly not very enthusiastic about. The BCCI also has to consider the interests of players alongside broadcasters.
Why Such a Major Change Is Being Considered
Since its launch in 2008, the IPL has traditionally been played between March and May.
However, reports suggest that extreme heat and humidity during this period have increasingly affected players, leading to fatigue, dehydration and muscle injuries.
Because of these concerns, discussions are underway about moving the IPL window to September-October after 2027 or splitting the tournament into two phases while keeping international schedules and weather conditions in mind.
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There is also a proposal to stage the entire IPL between February and April every year.
Advertising companies and agencies are believed to favour a September-October window as well, considering it more commercially attractive than the intense summer heat of March-May, especially in the run-up to Diwali.
At the same time, the current March-May schedule also has advantages, as children are on school and college vacations during that period, which boosts television viewership.
Discussions With ICC Underway
It is understood that the International Cricket Council and various cricket boards are already in discussions with the BCCI regarding these proposals.
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