IPL likely to expand to 94 games from 2028, says league chairman Arun Dhumal

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set for a significant structural overhaul in the next media rights cycle, with BCCI officials confirming a roadmap to expand the tournament to 94 matches per season. The move, aimed at beginning in 2028, seeks to eliminate the current “virtual group” system in favour of a traditional double-legged round-robin format.

Speaking on the league’s future trajectory, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal clarified that while the volume of cricket will increase, the number of franchises will remain capped at 10.

The proposed jump from the current 74-match schedule to 94 is designed to ensure every team plays each other twice – once at home and once away. This pure league format was a staple of the IPL during its eight-team era but was compromised following the re-introduction of 10 teams to prevent the tournament window from overextending.

“With the given set of teams, only we can go for more number of matches,” Dhumal said, reiterating the point he made last year.

“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.”

BIGGER WINDOW FOR IPL

The primary hurdle for an immediate rollout remains the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP). The current bilateral calendar is locked until 2027, leaving the BCCI with a finite 60-to-65-day window that cannot accommodate a 94-match schedule without an influx of double-headers – a format generally disliked by broadcasters due to split viewership and lower ad revenue.

“Since the bilaterals are locked in till 2027, we would need a bigger window to raise the number of games from 74 to 94,” Dhumal explained. “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.”

The BCCI is expected to negotiate a dedicated two-and-a-half-month window in the next ICC cycle, effectively pausing international cricket to allow the world’s premier T20 league to breathe.

The shift to 94 games is also a tactical response to viewership trends. Under the current 2026 format, the ten teams are divided into two virtual groups. While this keeps the tournament duration manageable, data has shown a recurring “mid-league fatigue.” Viewership typically dips by 15-20% during the middle phase as fans struggle with the complexity of the group-based points table.

By reverting to a full home-and-away cycle, the BCCI hopes to restore narrative continuity. A “football-style” league table is viewed as more intuitive for fans and more lucrative for broadcasters, as every match carries equal weight in a singular standings list.

Despite the increase in matches, Dhumal’s insistence on maintaining ten teams suggests a desire to protect the quality of the product. An expansion to 12 teams would not only require an even larger window but could also dilute the domestic talent pool, which is already stretched across 10 franchises.

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