The Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to get bigger as the BCCI is planning to expand the tournament to 94 matches starting from the 2028 cycle. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal hinted at the addition of 20 more matches to the existing 74 from 2028, when the next media rights cycle begins while negating any plans of adding more teams.

The IPL currently featuring 10 teams witnessed a rejig in 2022 from the earlier 60-game format after the addition of Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants. While there were talks about expanding the tournament to 84 matches in 2025, those plans have been pushed back due to scheduling problems with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

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Currently, the IPL’s window is fixed in the Future Tours Programme (FTP) until 2027, running from mid-March to the end of May, but Dhumal indicated that the board is seriously considering a full home-and-away format with 94 matches once the next media rights cycle starts in 2028.

“Definitely, that might be an opportunity. We’ve been discussing in ICC, we’ve been discussing in-house in BCCI. Given how the interest of the fan is changing with regard to bilateral and ICC events, in regard to franchise cricket and T20 cricket, we’ll have to talk more seriously about it and see how we can create maximum value for the stakeholders of the game,” Dhumal told ESPNcricinfo.

“Ideally, we’d want a larger window, or maybe go from 74 to 84 or 94 at some point So that every team gets to play against every team home and away. For that, you need 94 games,” he added.

Stating that expanding the IPL to 94 matches is not a short-term goal, Dhumal said that the BCCI will decide on it after assessing the plan’s feasibility.

“Given the window and the kind of commitments that we have with regards to bilateral cricket and ICC events, that may not be possible in the short term. But given the landscape, how it is changing and evolving over the years, maybe at some point in time we would look and take that option,” Dhumal said.

“There’s been so much cricket: we came back from Australia from a Test series, we had this Champions Trophy, and on top of that we have this IPL. That is why it was decided that it doesn’t make sense to go from 74 to 84 [in 2025], but whenever we think that the time is opportune, we’ll take that call,” he added.

No new franchises

Despite significant interest from investors in owning IPL teams, Dhumal said the BCCI has no immediate plans to add more franchises.

“Ten is a good number for now. The priority is maintaining the tournament’s interest and the quality of cricket we deliver. I don’t see any scope for expansion in the short term. As the landscape evolves, we will review and take a call accordingly,” he said.

Rating the ongoing season as a success, Dhumal praised the “competitive spirit” among teams and the emergence of several young Indian players while also expressing his wish to see a new champion lifting the title.

“Every year, it’s been growing. We are very glad how the fans have loved this tournament, and the broadcast numbers and in-stadia numbers are all phenomenal. We are hoping to carry on with this being a special edition, the 18th edition. We are very sure that it’ll continue to grow in the way we’ve seen over the last 17 years,” Dhumal said.

“Definitely, I would want somebody who has never won the tournament to lift the trophy this year. DC has done exceptionally well over the last few years, but they’ve not won. Punjab Kings made it to one final, and RCB, off and on, have done well. If some of these teams compete against each other in the final, we’ll know for sure that we will have a new winner, then I’ll be very happy for the tournament,” he added.