"We also have to factor the load on the players" - Jay Shah says IPL may not extend to 84 matches in 2025
Secretary Jay Shah said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is still pondering on whether to increase the number of IPL matches from the current 74 in 2025. He said that although such an expansion was mandated in the BCCI's media rights and sponsorship contracts, they want to factor in players' workload.
The sponsorship contracts mentioned a planned expansion to 84 matches in 2025-26 and a further one to 94 matches in 2027. An 84-match IPL would extend the tournament by at least another week, which might have also had to be supplemented by the addition of new franchises.
"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," Shah told the press on Wednesday, as quoted by the Economic Times. "While it's (84 matches) part of the contract, it's up to the BCCI to decide whether to organise 74 or 84 matches."
Economic Times also cited sources to claim that the TV and digital rights owners Star India and Viacom18 prefer 74 matches because they fear viewer fatigue if the popular tournament is expanded. Meanwhile, the report added, franchise owners want the 10-match extension because it'll bring more revenue for them.
Jay Shah speaks on mega auction possibilities
Like with tournament expansion, a debate over a mega auction for the 2025 season and the number of allowed retentions is also ongoing, with meetings among the franchise owners yet to yield a clear outcome. Shah's remarks suggested that the board is still on the fence and trying to find a middle ground.
"Some franchises are in favour of a mega auction since it will give them an opportunity to build a strong team. Some franchises don't want a mega-auction since they already have a strong team. Both consistency and shuffling are important," he said.
With so many key decisions to be made, the next few months are likely to be quite hectic and yet interesting for Indian cricket.