The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set for a major structural overhaul in the next media rights cycle, with BCCI officials confirming plans to expand the tournament to 94 matches per season. The move, which aims to start in 2028, seeks to scrap the current “virtual group” system in favor of a traditional two-legged round-robin format.
Talking about the future trajectory of the league, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal clarified that while the volume of cricket will grow, the number of franchises will remain limited to 10.
The proposed jump from the current 74-game schedule to 94 is designed to ensure that each team plays each other twice – once at home and once away. This pure league format was the mainstay of the IPL during its eight-team era, but was compromised after the reintroduction of 10 teams to avoid stretching the tournament window.
“With the given set of squads, only we can go for more matches,” said Dhumal. he reiterated a point he made last year.
“So now there is no point in increasing the number of teams. Because if we are to have the same number of matches at home and away, we can go from 74 to 94. That would be the ideal situation.”
LARGER WINDOW FOR IPL
The ICC Future Tours Program (FTP) remains the primary obstacle to immediate rollout. The current bilateral calendar is locked until 2027, leaving the BCCI with a final 60-65-day window that cannot accommodate a 94-match schedule without an influx of double-headers – a format generally disliked by broadcasters due to split viewership and lower advertising revenue.
“Since the bilateral agreements are locked in until 2027, we would need a bigger window to increase the number of games from 74 to 94,” explained Dhumal. “So we’re looking at a bigger two-way cycle after 2027. If we can do that, we’ll certainly try to have 94 games.”
The BCCI is expected to negotiate a dedicated two-and-a-half-month window in the next ICC cycle, effectively suspending international cricket to allow the world’s premier T20 league to breathe.
The move to 94 games is also a tactical response to viewership trends. Under the current 2026 format, ten teams are divided into two virtual groups. While this keeps the length of the tournament manageable, the data shows a recurring “Middle League Fatigue”. Viewership typically drops 15-20% during the middle stage as fans struggle with the complexity of the group-based scoreboard.
By returning to a full home and away cycle, BCCI hopes to restore narrative continuity. A “soccer-style” league table is seen as more intuitive for fans and more lucrative for broadcasters, as each match is given equal weight in a unified ranking.
Despite the increase in fixtures, Dhumal’s insistence on maintaining ten teams indicates a desire to protect the quality of the product. Expanding to 12 teams would not only require an even bigger window, but could also dilute a domestic talent pool that is already stretched to 10 franchises.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
07 May 2026 20:54 IST
