"Given the format of the IPL that we have, it is not possible to have another edition in the same year" - Arun Dhumal
Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Arun Singh Dhumal has shed light on the obstacles that come along with the prospect of potentially conducting multiple editions of the tournament in a single year.
The IPL currently primarily runs in the April-May window, with a dedicated section planned for the Future Tours Programme (FTP) by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The tournament was staged in two different halves during the 2021 season after COVID-19 and a bio bubble breach brought it to a halt.
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Opining that organizing multiple fully fledged IPL seasons twice a year would be an impossible task, Dhumal told the Indian Express:
"Given the format of the IPL that we have, it is not possible to have another edition in the same year. We have seen the bilateral calendar for the upcoming four years and the ICC events. So that may not be possible. But if there is any window of opportunity available for some other format or short tournament, we are definitely looking at that."
The IPL has evolved to be an integral part of the cricketing calendar not only for India but for other nations as well. The league pays money to the cricketing boards to allow their players to partake in the league.
Stating that the money could be re-invested in their own domestic competitions and youth cricket to improve their squad, Dhumal said:
"In case cricket has to flourish in other countries across the globe and they have no other option but to go for the leagues and make money out of it and then put the money back into domestic cricket, so be it. If India is helping that, then so be it."
Several countries like the West Indies and Sri Lanka are in dire need of such assistance, considering the poor state of their cricketing board and the sport in general.
"If fans want only one particular format to be played, it will eventually come to that" - Arun Singh Dhumal
Cricket is definitely ushering in a new era where it could potentially be dominated by franchise cricket. The number of franchise-based T20 leagues is making things difficult for international cricket in general in terms of scheduling and relevancy.
ODIs have taken a particularly serious hit amid the emergence of the shortest format and there are fears that the sport might ultimately follow a franchise model with international cricket only comprising major events.
Opining that the fans hold the key to the fate of cricket, Dhumal said:
"It is the fans who will decide this. It is not up to the respective cricket boards or the ICC. If fans want only one particular format to be played, say T20 and there are no takers for ODI or Test cricket, it will eventually come to that."
Will the IPL see two seasons being run in one year in the future? Let us know what you think.
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