Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, has finally opened up about whether the IPL 2025 will expand to having 84 matches in the season or not. Shah stated that it is in the contract to raise the number of matches in the league, but that the players’ workload must also be considered before making any decisions.
While the number of IPL clubs has expanded from eight to ten over the last three seasons, the number of matches has not increased accordingly. The IPL currently has 74 matches, although ideally there should be 94 matches if each team plays each other once at home and once away during the group stages.
Currently, the teams are separated into two groups based on pre-tournament seeding. Teams from the same group will play each other twice: once at home and once away. A squad will face the teams of the opposite group once, except one team.
“Nothing is confirmed”- Jay Shah on increasing the number of matches from 74 to 84 in IPL 2025
BCCI secretary Jay Shah indicated that the board was still debating whether to increase the number of IPL matches to 84 beginning with the 2025 season, up from the current 74.
He added that the BCCI’s broadcast rights and sponsorship contracts required such an expansion, but they also wanted to accommodate for players’ workload.
The sponsorship contracts indicated an increase to 84 matches in 2025-26, followed by 94 games in 2027. An 84-match IPL would have stretched the competition by at least a week, maybe forcing the entrance of additional franchises.
“We have not taken a call on organizing 84 matches in IPL 2025 since we also have to factor the load on the players due to the increase in matches. While it’s (84 matches) part of the contract, it’s up to the BCCI to decide whether to organize 74 or 84 matches,” Jay Shah told the Economic Times.
According to sources close to the situation, IPL TV and digital rights owners Star India and Viacom18 want a 74-game IPL, while the teams want an 84-game league.
The broadcasters argue that an 84-match IPL could induce viewer weariness, making ad monetization more challenging, particularly considering the drop in media ad spending on the IPL over the last two years despite rising viewing.
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