Board of Control for Cricket in India chairman Arun Dhumal has confirmed that the BCCI is seriously considering expanding the Indian Premier League from 74 matches to 94 matches in the next media rights cycle. The proposed expansion would allow every IPL franchise to play each other both home and away, creating a complete double round-robin format for the first time in the tournament’s history.

Currently, the IPL season lasts around 60 to 65 days, but the existing format does not give all teams an equal home-and-away schedule. Under the present structure, franchises do not face every opponent twice, something the BCCI hopes to change in the future. According to Dhumal, the ideal scenario would see every team playing nine matches at home and nine away, ensuring better competitive balance and increased fan engagement across venues.

“Ideally, we would want it because that would give an opportunity for all the teams to have nine home and nine away games. And we are hopeful that in case we get a bigger window in the next media cycle, given the bilateral commitments and ICC commitments that we have, if we get a bigger window, we would be very happy to increase the number of games to 94,” Arun Dhumal said.

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However, the biggest challenge remains fitting an expanded IPL schedule into the already packed international cricket calendar. The ICC’s Future Tours Programme is currently fixed until 2027, leaving very limited room for additional IPL fixtures. Dhumal admitted that increasing the number of matches without extending the tournament window would result in far more double-headers, something broadcasters are not particularly keen on.

“That is why we need a bigger window. In a smaller window, if you go from 74 to 94 games, you will have more double-headers. But that doesn’t add value to the broadcasters. We have to see the interests of the broadcasters,” he explained.

Dhumal also hinted that the IPL schedule could eventually be split across different periods of the year depending on international commitments and Indian weather conditions. The BCCI believes that extreme summer heat and humidity can negatively affect player fitness and heighten injury risk during a long tournament.

“It will depend on how it can be worked out in the next bilateral cycle. If we can find some window during September-October, part of it can go there. If we find some window maybe from February to April, that would also be good,” Arun Dhumal stated.

He further stressed that changing weather patterns have made scheduling increasingly difficult in India, especially during peak summer conditions.

“The reason being, with the change in weather, it becomes very difficult to conduct games in that heat and humid environment. It would eventually lead to a lot of injuries,” he added.

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Addressing concerns that a longer IPL could damage bilateral cricket revenues for other cricket boards, Dhumal argued that franchise leagues are becoming increasingly valuable to both players and administrators worldwide.

“Every player is finding more value in IPL or any league vis-a-vis bilateral cricket. So we have to see what adds more value to the respective board or a player ultimately,” Arun Dhumal said.