Cricket: More IPL! Competition to Expand to 94 Games by 2028?
IPL Chairman Confirms Plans For Tournament Expansion Underway
The chairman of the Indian Premier League, Arun Dhumal, has confirmed that the BCCI is actively looking into the possibility of expanding the IPL to 94 games by the start of the 2028 season. He said:
"We've been discussing in ICC, we've been discussing in-house in BCCI. Given how the interest of the fan is changing with regard to bilateral and ICC events, in regard to franchise cricket and T20 cricket, we'll have to talk more seriously about it and see how we can create maximum value for the stakeholders of the game.”
Since the Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants entered the competition back in 2022, the IPL now features 74 matches. Initial plans for the tournament to increase to 84 games from this year were postponed due to scheduling constraints.
Our IPL predictions will be available for the remainder of this season’s competition, and if the proposed revamp comes to fruition, each team is expected to play each other twice, home and away. As it stands, there are no immediate plans to increase the number of franchises.
Dhumal went on to praise the 2025 season, pointing to the competitive spirit and breakthrough of young players as major wins for the competition. He also expressed hope to see a new champion being crowned this year, with the Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru all in the running.
It is understood that the final decision on the IPL’s proposed expansion will come during the course of 2026, following FTP negotiations and broadcaster feedback.
RCB Suffer Huge Blow As Key Player Ruled Out of IPL
Despite competing in every edition of the Indian Premier League to date, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have never managed to win the title, but this season could be the one for them, with the team currently performing at an exceptional level and among the favourites according to the best online betting sites.
However, RCB were dealt a massive blow in the lead-up to their match against the Lucknow Super Giants on May 9, with batsman Devdutt Padikkal sustaining a right hamstring injury that has ruled him out for the remainder of the competition.
The 24-year-old has featured in 10 of the Royal Challengers’ 11 matches this season and has contributed 247 runs, including two 50+ knocks. Padikkal will be replaced by Mayank Agarwal, who cost the franchise ₹1 crore at the IPL auction last year.
Agarwal has racked up 127 IPL appearances since his debut season in 2011, and he has scored 2,661 runs over that period. He began his IPL career at RCB, but has also played for the Punjab Kings, Delhi Daredevils, Rising Pune Supergiants and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The 34-year-old is expected to feature for RCB against LSG on Friday, where the team will be looking to earn a victory that will likely guarantee them a top-two spot heading into the Playoffs.
