Arun Singh Dhumal, the chairman of Indian Premier League (IPL), has discussed the challenges that may arise in conducting multiple editions of the tournament in a single year. The IPL usually takes place in the months of April and May, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has a specific window for the tournament in the Future Tours Programme (FTP).
During the 2021 season, the IPL was split into two halves and played in different countries due to COVID-19 and a breach of the bio bubble.
According to Dhumal, holding full-fledged IPL seasons twice a year would be challenging due to the format of the tournament. He stated that after examining the upcoming four-year bilateral calendar and ICC events, it may not be feasible to organize another edition of the IPL in the same year. However, if there is a chance to conduct a short tournament or another format of the IPL during any available window of opportunity, the IPL governing body is considering it.
“Given the format of the IPL that we have, it is not possible to have another edition in the same year. We have seen the bilateral calendar for the upcoming four years and the ICC events. So that may not be possible. But if there is any window of opportunity available for some other format or short tournament, we are definitely looking at that,” Mr. Dhumal said.
The IPL has become a crucial component of the cricketing calendar, not only for India but for other countries as well. The league pays a fee to the cricketing boards to allow their players to participate in the tournament. The money generated could be re-invested by the boards in their own domestic competitions and youth cricket to enhance the quality of their team.
The rise of franchise-based T20 leagues is changing the landscape of cricket and creating challenges for international cricket scheduling and relevance. The emergence of these leagues has affected the popularity of ODI cricket, leading to concerns that the future of the sport may be dominated by franchise cricket.
Some experts believe that international cricket could become a major event-only affair, with franchise cricket taking over the rest of the calendar. As the sport continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how cricket’s governing bodies will adapt to the new reality of franchise cricket and balance it with traditional international cricket.