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Indian Premier League has become the most dynamic T20 domestic tournament in the world. Recently concluded e-auctions for the IPL media rights (TV & digital) have taken the league to a completely whole new level, fetching the BCCI a per-match revenue of about 107.5 crores. The figure puts IPL second on the list, only behind the NFL but ahead of EPL, NBA and other leagues.
Day after e-auctions concluded, BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that IPL's next season will have a two-month window from the next ICC FTP calendar. With the addition of two new franchises, IPL 2022 has already become grander than any of its previous seasons, and now several voices have backed a further expansion of the tournament.
In a recent development, Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia has reckoned that the upcoming IPL seasons should be divided into two halves and has demanded more home games. Notably, IPL 2022 was restricted to neutral venues in a bio-bubble due to the Covid-19 pandemic and fixtures were also limited to 74 matches, instead of possible 90-plus matches.
While speaking with Indian Express, Ness Wadia admitted that IPL has become one of the most prolific leagues in the world and it will only get bigger from here. "IPL has taken cricket to the global level. The IPL has provided a much-needed spark to cricket and took it to the global stage. It will get even bigger in the future," he said.
Adding further, Wadia confessed that seven matches at home are too few in numbers, and proposed a minimum of 14 matches. "I see a much longer season which is long overdue,” Ness Wadia was quoted in the same report.
He further suggested conducting two seasons, one in India and one in a different country every year. "Indians are everywhere and there is huge potential that the league will receive more recognition if we hold more matches and let top-quality players engage for a longer period," Ness Wadia said.