Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI has backtracked on their stance on ICC adding two more events for the cycle of 2024-31, possibly allowing a bigger window for the expanded IPL.
The BCCI has been looking to expand the IPL to a 10-team tournament for a while. Originally planned for 2021, they had to scrap the plan because of the lack of time for planning after IPL 2020. The BCCI will likely expand the league in 2022, which would mean the IPL Governing Council will need extra days to accommodate the matches.
Previously, the BCCI, along with England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia, opposed the proposal of more global events, openly citing that they believe in ‘less is more’. But eventually, all three boards agreed to the proposal, which was surprising as the initial reservations had come from none other than the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.
“Sometimes less is more in life. So we have got to be careful with that. And the football World Cup happens every four years and you see the madness. That’s a decision for the ICC to make, I’m not in a position to talk or comment on it. As and when I get an opportunity to be a part of the discussion, I will speak,”
Ganguly said before taking the responsibilities of the BCCI presidency.
As it turned out, Ganguly himself was a signatory on the recent decision by the ICC to approve the eight-year cycle of 2024-31. The cycle will include two ODI World Cups, four T20 World Cups and two Champions Trophies.
In a recent report from CricBuzz, it is understood that the BCCI and ICC have reached a bargain that allows the IPL to have a bigger window. Currently, the 8-team tournament takes up to eight weeks to complete the 60 matches in a season. The world cricket calendar is mostly kept free in April-May to ensure the participation of the foreign players in the IPL, avoiding any conflict with international cricket.
With the tournament set to be expanded to 10 teams, the window will need to be extended by 15-20 days, and the BCCI is considering adding a part of March. The format for the 10-team tournament has not been finalised yet nor the two new teams have been identified. When it happens, the number of matches will increase from 60 to 76 or 94, depending on which format the board prefers.
If they decide to conduct the IPL in two groups, the number of games will be 76, and if they persist with the current format, there will be 94 matches. Either way, the extra 15 days will be required to complete a season, with the 94-game format likely to consist of more doubleheaders.
A couple of broadcasting officials has also welcomed the arrangement of the 10-team IPL.
“We have heard about such an arrangement and both ICC and IPL properties should be out in the market soon,”
a sports channel executive quoted.
The current broadcast deals of the IPL and ICC will come to an end in June 2022 and November 2023, respectively. The tenders for the new cycle could be out one year prior to that.
