IPL 2028 to have 94 matches; No new teams?
IPL 2025 Captains pose with the trophy. (Photo credit: BCCI)The BCCI is seriously thinking about expanding the IPL season to 94 matches starting in 2028, but there are no current plans to add new teams.
Table of Contents
The IPL grew to 74 matches in 2022 after Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) joined the league.
There were early talks about moving to 84 matches by 2025, but that plan was put on hold because of tight schedules and broadcasters not wanting too many double-headers.
However, the idea of expansion is still being discussed for the near future.
Right now, the IPL has a fixed slot in the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the next two years, from mid-March to the end of May.
According to ESPNcricinfo, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal said that the BCCI is seriously looking at the possibility of moving to a full home-and-away format with 94 matches starting in 2028, when the next media rights cycle begins.
“Definitely, that might be an opportunity,” Dhumal said.
“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.”
“Ideally, we’d want a larger window, or to maybe go on 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.
WHAT IPL’s CHAIRMAN EXACTLY SAID
Dhumal explained that even though expanding the number of matches would be ideal, it’s hard to fit more games into the schedule right now because of international cricket commitments.
“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.”
He also pointed out the busy cricket calendar, saying, “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 from going from 74 to 84 [in 2025], but whenever we think that the time is opportune, we’ll take that call.”
🚨 94 MATCHES IN AN IPL SESSON. 🚨
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 28, 2025
– IPL Chairman hints at 94 matches a season from 2028. (Espncricinfo). pic.twitter.com/RBfGkoIHyC
Discussions about extending the IPL window will happen next year when cricket boards work on the next FTP.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Some franchise officials prefer a 94-match season, but expansion would depend on broadcasters’ interest.
Currently, TV and streaming viewership tends to drop midway through the IPL, something broadcasters blame on viewer fatigue.
The 2025 IPL will run for nine weeks and feature 12 double-headers. Adding even more matches would need another two weeks in the international calendar.
NO NEW TEAMS
As for new franchises, there are no immediate plans to add any, even though there is interest from investors.
Dhumal said, “Ten is a good number for now. Paramount is the interest in the tournament and the quality of cricket that we play… I don’t see any scope in the short term. Going forward, with how this whole landscape evolves, we’ll take a call accordingly.”
Comments are off for this post.