With the auctions for the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) lined up on 27th and 28th of this month, IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla has promised new surprises and also said that the new season will be bigger and better as they look to take the league to a new league.  

In a recent interview with Gulf News, the IPL Chairman opened up on various possibilities that the fans can look forward to in an all-new season. 

On being questioned on whats in store Ravi Shukla said " Well, the IPL has been growing with each edition for the last 10 years, it has weathered many a storm to come to where it is. The biggest thing from the 11th edition is that the revenue model is getting changed — whereby the eight franchises will share 40 percent of the profit, while the BCCI will get 60 percent. This means the team owners don’t need to give license fees as they did for the first decade".

The next question was about the various counterparts IPL has seen over the years. This was what Rajiv Shukla's take was on that particular question. "Our past experience has certainly helped along the way. What has certainly helped is the passion for cricket in India — a KPMG report says that the sport enjoys a 92 percent viewership, while eight percent watch other sport in the pie. Every year, the eyeball for IPL is also increasing, with the league attracting a fan base from all age groups now".

The ICC boss said that there is an unlikely chance of any change in match timings in the new season. "We have often discussed about it, but it’s unlikely, as the broadcasters have to be agreeable. The early game (4pm IST) matches is another issue as they don’t get much eyeballs, hence we are trying to make an attempt to keep the day matches to a minimum — largely on the days of the doubleheaders" added Shukla. 

Rajiv Shukla concluded the interaction saying that the inclusion of Pakistan players in the IPL is totally up to the interest of the respective franchises. The security of these players, he adds is another point of note.