The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to get a major change in 2028, as IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has indicated that the tournament will expand to 94 matches from 2028 onwards if the board succeeds in getting a bigger window in the next ICC FTP meeting.
The goal of the change, which is scheduled to start in 2028, is to replace the present "virtual group" structure with a conventional double-legged round-robin format.
Speaking on the league's future direction, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal made it clear that although there will be more cricket played, there will only be ten teams. Every team will face each other twice—once at home and once away—as a result of the proposed increase from the current 74-match schedule to 94.
During the IPL's eight-team era, this pure league format was a mainstay. However, after ten teams were reintroduced, it was modified to avoid the tournament window being overextended.
“With the given set of teams, only we can go for a greater number of matches. So, it doesn't make sense as of now to increase the number of teams. Because if we have to have an equal number of home and away matches, from 74 we can go up to 94. That would be the ideal situation,” Arun Dhumal was quoted by India Today.
The biggest hurdle in the IPL's plans for a 94-game season remains the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP). The current bilateral calendar is locked in till 2027. This leaves the BCCI with a finite 60-to-65-day window that cannot accommodate a 94-match schedule unless a huge number of double-headers are played. However, doubleheaders are not liked by broadcasters, as they don’t fetch viewership and have lower ad revenue.
"Since the bilaterals are locked in till 2027, we would need a bigger window to raise the number of games from 74 to 94. So, we are looking for a bigger window post-2027 bilateral cycle. In case we can get that, we will definitely try to have 94 games,” Dhumal added.
In order to provide the world's top T20 league some breathing room, the BCCI is anticipated to negotiate a specific two-and-a-half-month gap in the upcoming ICC cycle.
Another strategic reaction to patterns in viewing is the change to 94 games. The ten teams are split into two virtual groups under the current 2026 system. Although this keeps the tournament's duration under control, data has revealed a persistent "mid-league fatigue." The middle phase usually sees a 15-20% decline in viewership as fans become frustrated with the intricacy of the group-based scoring table.
By reverting to a full home-and-away cycle, the BCCI hopes to restore narrative continuity.
Dhumal has insisted on keeping the number of teams to 10 only, as expanding to 12 teams would require a larger pool of domestic players, apart from a bigger window.
