According to Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, the Indian Premier League (IPL) will have an expanded 10-week window in the upcoming international calendar to allow all of the top cricket players in the globe to compete in the cash-rich T20 league.
Additionally, Shah told Reuters that there are no immediate plans to expand the number of teams and that any future expansions must not degrade the standard of the final product.
"We are in discussions with the ICC (International Cricket Council) and several other cricket boards to have an exclusive window for the IPL. Let me assure you that there will be a two-and-a-half-month window in the next ICC FTP (Future Tours Programme) calendar so that all top international players can participate.
"Since this tournament benefits all... we have received a positive response from the ICC and other member boards," Shah said.
Currently, the IPL is spread out over two months, during which, international cricket practically comes to a standstill. The league will have 94 games every season instead of 74, in 2027.
Next month, the ICC will probably talk about the FTP schedule for 2024–2031.
The sale of the T20 league's broadcast rights for the following five years increased the world's richest board's financial resources by $6.2 billion earlier this month. Two new teams, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants entered the IPL this year, and the former defeated Rajasthan Royals in the final on May 29 in Ahmedabad in front of 100,000 spectators.
Shah stated that the league would remain a 10-team event "for now" and that Gujarat and Lucknow Super Giants paid a combined $1.7 billion to join.
"Expanding the IPL further will depend on many factors like expanding the talent pool with no compromise on the quality of talent, strengthening grassroots, building the right infrastructure and many other factors," Shah said.
Shah rejected the idea that extending the IPL season will interfere with India's dedication to international cricket.
"The BCCI remains committed to international cricket and it's not just the marquee series like India v England or India v Australia. We want to design a comprehensive calendar where we aim to help associate nations with consistent and regular bilateral tours," he said.
(Reuters inputs)
