- IPL to expand to 94 matches from 2028 season.
- New format features home-and-away games for all teams.
- BCCI prioritizes enhancing current ten-team competition.
- Expansion requires negotiating a dedicated two-month window.
IPL Expansion: The BCCI is planning a massive expansion of the IPL to 94 matches starting from the 2028 season, introducing a full home-and-away format for all ten franchises.The Indian Premier League is set for its most significant structural overhaul since the addition of new franchises. According to reports from India Today, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is actively planning to expand the tournament to a staggering 94 matches starting from the 2028 season.
This ambitious roadmap aims to move away from the current “virtual group” system in favour of a traditional double-legged round-robin format. By increasing the volume of matches, the board intends to simplify the league table for fans while ensuring a more intuitive and lucrative schedule for global broadcasters.
Transition to Full Home-and-Away
The core of the proposal involves ensuring that every one of the ten existing franchises plays each other twice in the league stage. This marks a return to the “pure league” format seen during the eight-team era.
Under this new structure, each team would participate in 18 league matches with nine at their home ground and nine away. This jump from the current 74-match schedule is designed to restore narrative continuity across the season.
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Chairman Confirms the Roadmap
IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal recently clarified that while the volume of cricket will increase, there are no plans to add more franchises. The focus remains on strengthening the existing ten-team competition.
“If we have to have an equal number of home and away matches, from 74 we can go up to 94. That would be the ideal situation,” Dhumal explained.
No New Teams Planned
Dhumal’s insistence on maintaining ten teams suggests a desire to protect the quality of the product. An expansion to 12 teams could potentially dilute the domestic talent pool and stretch player availability.
By sticking with ten franchises, the BCCI ensures that the standard of cricket remains high even as the schedule expands. This approach allows the league to grow commercially without compromising on competitive intensity.
The Challenge of the Window
The primary hurdle for this rollout remains the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP). Currently, the bilateral calendar is locked until 2027, leaving a finite window that cannot accommodate 94 matches.
To fit 20 extra games, the BCCI is expected to negotiate a dedicated two-and-a-half-month window in the next ICC cycle. This would effectively pause international cricket to allow the premier T20 league to breathe.
Addressing Mid-Season Fatigue
Data from recent seasons has shown a recurring “mid-league fatigue” where viewership dips as fans struggle with the group-based points table. A singular standings list is viewed as more engaging.
A “football-style” league table ensures every match carries equal weight. This structural change aims to keep fans locked in from the opening game until the final, maximising advertising returns for stakeholders.
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