IPL 2025 unlikely to increase number of matches as planned before due to players' workload - Reports
The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) will reportedly feature the same number of matches as its predecessors due to the players' workload management. The competition had eyed a potential expansion at this point in its growth, and keeping that in mind, the contract with the broadcasters had promised 84 matches in the upcoming season.
When the tender rights for the ongoing cycle back in 2023 were released, it included 74 matches per season for the first couple of years. Following an increase to 84 in 2025 and 2026, it encompassed 94 matches in the final year of the commitment in 2027.
However, with the IPL being run on a limited window during the Indian summer, coupled with the players' commitment to international cricket, adding more matches to the schedule becomes a complicated endeavor. According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants to ensure that the players are not overrun in the IPL 2025 season, affecting their participation in the World Test Championship (WTC).
Although India have not officially qualified for their third final in succession, they are among the favorites as they lead the points table.
"We have not taken a call on organising 84 matches in IPL 2025 since we also have to factor the load on the players due to the increase in matches. While it's (84 matches) part of the contract, it's up to the BCCI to decide whether to organise 74 or 84 matches," BCCI secretary Jay Shah told the Economic Times recently.
Despite boasting 10 teams and a league-plus-knockout format, not all teams face each other twice in the league stage. Each team plays 14 matches ahead of the playoffs. Including the knockout matches and the finals, the number comes out to 74 matches per season in the current format employed since 2022, following the addition of two new sides.
The BCCI has a lot of decisions to finalize ahead of IPL 2025
With the prospect of the number of matches per season seemingly out of the way for the time being, the BCCI has several other decisions to make ahead of the 2025 season, starting with the mega auction. IPL franchises are eagerly awaiting BCCI's verdict regarding the number of retentions they are allowed to make.
The updated purse amount, the availability of the Right To Match provisions, the futures of the impact player rule and the two-bouncer rule are some of the agendas that BCCI has to make a call on soon.