IPL 2026: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is already the second most valuable sporting property in the world, but the BCCI is not done growing the IPL just yet.
IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal has dropped a significant hint regarding the future of the tournament, suggesting that an expansion to 12 teams and a longer season could be on the horizon after the current media rights cycle ends in 2027.
While the demand from investors is growing, Dhumal made it clear that any further growth depends on a bigger window in the international cricket calendar.
“It depends on the window,” Dhumal told the Financial Times. “There is a lot of investor interest because the return on investment in the IPL has been exceptional. But expansion won’t happen unless we have a bigger window.”
Why Expansion Is On Hold
The blueprint for a bigger IPL was actually part of the record-breaking ₹48,390 crore media rights deal. The original plan aimed to increase the number of matches from 74 to 84 in 2025-2026, and eventually to 94 matches by 2027.
However, IPL 2026 has remained a 74-match tournament. Dhumal explained that the current ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), which runs until April 2027, is simply too crowded. With India’s jam-packed international schedule and the onset of the monsoon in June, there is currently no physical space to fit in an extra 20 matches without hurting the players or the broadcasters.
Cricket Is Moving To A Football Model
Dhumal believes that cricket is inevitably moving towards a ‘club-first’ model, similar to global football. In this “new world order,” bilateral series between countries would decrease, making room for domestic T20 leagues to dominate the calendar, interspersed with major ICC events.
The Conditions For 12-Team IPL
The jump from 10 to 12 teams is a logical next step for the BCCI, especially given that franchises earned over INR 1,000 crore in revenue last year.
However, Dhumal set out clear conditions for this to happen. The league will not add teams if it dilutes the quality of the cricket.
Adding more matches into the current two-month window would require more afternoon doubleheaders, which broadcasters dislike as they yield lower viewership.
Since the FTP and media rights are locked until 2027, any permanent move to 12 teams would likely coincide with the new cycle starting in 2028.
Growth Of IPL Viewership
The appetite for more IPL content is backed by staggering data. The IPL 2026 opening match between RCB and SRH pulled in over 426 million views on JioHotstar, more than almost every single match of the T20 World Cup.
With fans clearly choosing league cricket over many international fixtures, the pressure on the ICC to grant the IPL a two-and-a-half-month exclusive window is only going to grow.
