The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most loved franchise cricket tournaments in the world. Such is the interest that some stars even prefer playing in the T20 extravaganza over their national duties. Meanwhile, the stakes of the IPL continue to rise manifold, with the recent sale of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals being prime examples. Both franchises have been sold for a collective price of over Rs 31,000 crore, taking the worth of the IPL well beyond imagination.
There are a total of 10 teams in the tournament, with every season featuring 74 matches. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has revealed that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is exploring options to increase the number of matches to 94 per season.
As per the current format, every franchise faces five teams twice and four teams just once every season. After this, a total of four matches take place in the playoffs, including the final. If the tournament is expanded to 94 matches, every team could face each other twice, playing a total of 18 games per season.
“If you look at the transition over the last few years, there is definitely less interest in some bilateral games. That is why countries are coming up with their own leagues: the England and Wales Cricket Board’s The Hundred, Australia’s Big Bash League, the UAE’s International League T20, South Africa’s SA20 and the Caribbean Premier League,” Arun Dhumal told Financial Times.
“If this is the trend, then every country will want fewer bilaterals, or bilaterals that make more financial sense for them, and then there is scope to enlarge the IPL window. We are hoping for more discussions with all the countries and colleagues. If that works out, it should work out for everyone,” he added.
Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are the most successful teams in the tournament’s history, with five titles each to their names. Kolkata Knight Riders follow the duo with three IPL trophies in the 18 editions of the event that have been completed so far. The 19th season is currently underway.