The Extended IPL: Dominating a Quarter of Cricket's Calendar

Dear Franchise Owners, As we gear up for the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction on November 24-25, we wanted to inform you that the season is scheduled to begin on March 14 and conclude with the final on May 25. We are aware that the start date is unusually close to the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is set to end on March 9 according to the provisional schedule. We understand that this may present challenges for player availability and scheduling, and we are actively working to address any potential conflicts. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we strive to ensure a successful and seamless IPL season ahead. Thank you for your continued support. Best Regards, [Your Name] IPL Administration

Next year’s IPL will remain a 74-match affair and not scale up to 84 matches as mentioned in the 2023-27 media rights’ tender document. There is a plan from 2027 to have teams playing each other twice and the tournament expanded to 94 matches. It is not clear if the additional days mean more matches. Every IPL match is worth ₹118 crore.

For the benefit of broadcasters, the longer season will also cut down on double headers. Afternoon matches at the weekend garner less viewership than those played at prime time under lights. There were 11 double headers in IPL 2024, 18 in 2023.

IPL has grown exponentially from the first edition in 2008 which had eight teams playing 59 matches over 44 days. Till 2017, when IPL’s media rights value shot up, overseas players’ availability was a constant challenge with boards often unwilling to accommodate players’ demand to maximize their earning potential in India.

Now, while other T20 leagues and bilateral series grapple for player availability, IPL, given its lucrative salaries, faces no such problem. The team purse available to each franchise in this year’s mega auction has gone up by 20 per cent to ₹120 crore. South African big-hitter Heinrich Klassen has already secured a ₹23 crore annual contract after being retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad.

South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe have communicated to IPL availability of all their players for the season. In a significant boost to franchises, all of England’s 18 contracted players except Test captain Ben Stokes will also mostly be available for the next three terms.

Australian players will be available for IPL 2025 and miss only the first week of the 2026 edition because of a possible clash of dates with an Australia-Pakistan ODI series. England and Australia players may miss the start of IPL 2027 for a one-off Test between them to be played between March 11-15.