IPL to Expand to 94 Matches by 2028: BCCI Announces Major Format Change
The landscape of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s premier T20 franchise cricket tournament, is poised for a significant structural shift. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced an ambitious plan to expand the tournament from its current 74-match format to a comprehensive 94-match season, commencing in 2028. This strategic overhaul will see a departure from the existing virtual group system, reintroducing a more traditional and universally appreciated double-legged round-robin format.
The IPL’s Evolution: From 74 to 94 Matches
Currently, the IPL spans approximately 2.5 months, making it one of the longest T20 franchise cricket tournaments globally. While most other T20 leagues conclude within a month or a maximum of 1.5 months, the IPL’s enduring popularity and the escalating demand for more T20 cricket have sustained interest despite the gruelling schedule for both players and spectators. The forthcoming expansion aims to capitalize on this immense popularity while refining the tournament’s structure for enhanced fairness and engagement.
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal confirmed the impending changes, emphasizing that the increase in the volume of cricket would not translate to an expansion in the number of participating franchises. The league will maintain its current roster of 10 teams, ensuring continuity and stability among the competing entities. Dhumal articulated the rationale behind this decision, stating, “With the given set of teams, only we can go for more number of matches.” He further elaborated, “So it doesn’t make sense as of now to increase the number of teams. Because 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.”
This transition from 74 to 94 matches is meticulously designed to ensure that every team plays every other team twice – once at their home ground and once away. This full home-and-away cycle is a cornerstone of traditional sporting leagues and is expected to bring a heightened sense of competition and strategic depth to the IPL.
Reverting to a Tried and Tested Format
Historically, during the IPL’s eight-team era, these double-legged fixtures were a standard practice, with each team engaging every other team in both home and away encounters. However, with the reintroduction of 10 teams, the tournament faced a compromised window, necessitating a deviation from this traditional format to prevent excessive overextension of the season.
For those unfamiliar, the BCCI had implemented a virtual group system to manage the 10-team structure and keep the season duration to around 74 matches and two months. Under this system, teams were initially divided into two virtual groups of five, typically based on previous performances. Despite this group division, all 10 teams shared a single points table. Teams would play four teams within their own virtual group once and the five teams from the opposite group twice. This intricate model, while serving its purpose for a period, will be phased out from the 2028 season onwards in favour of the more straightforward and equitable double-legged round-robin.
Why the Wait Until 2028?
The decision to implement these transformative changes in the 2028 season, rather than sooner, is primarily dictated by the international cricket calendar. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme (FTP) currently locks the bilateral calendar until 2027. This arrangement leaves the BCCI with a constrained window of approximately 60-65 days, which is insufficient to accommodate a 94-match schedule.
Arun Dhumal clarified the timeline, explaining, “Since the bilaterals are locked in till 2027, we would need a bigger window to raise the number of games from 74 to 94. So we are looking for a bigger window post-2027 bilateral cycle. In case we can get that, we will definitely try to have 94 games.” This indicates a careful and collaborative approach with international cricket bodies to ensure the IPL’s expansion aligns harmoniously with the global cricketing schedule.
Addressing Viewer Fatigue and Enhancing Engagement
The shift to a 94-game schedule is not merely an expansion of quantity but also a calculated response to evolving viewership trends and fan feedback. The IPL 2026 season reportedly experienced a noticeable dip of 15-20% in viewership during its middle phase. This phenomenon is often attributed to spectator fatigue, stemming from a continuous stream of T20 cricket, including the T20 World Cup, bilateral series, and the IPL itself, often played with little continuity in narrative structure.
Fans have often expressed struggles with the complexity and sheer volume of continuous matches across various formats. By reverting to a full home-and-away cycle, the BCCI hopes to re-establish a clear narrative, foster deeper team rivalries, and offer a more intuitive “football-style” tournament for viewers to follow and enjoy. This format simplifies the understanding of the league standings and allows for a more consistent build-up of excitement and anticipation throughout the season, ultimately aiming to restore consistent engagement and viewership figures. The move signifies the BCCI’s commitment to evolving the IPL not just in scale, but also in quality of experience for its global fanbase.
