The Indian Premier League (IPL) has expanded to 10 teams from the initial eight and there could be an increase of matches, from 74 to 94, but when it will happen, the league’s chairman Arun Singh Dhumal has answered on the possibility.

In an interview with Financial Timesamid the ongoing IPL 2026, Dhumal explained that adding 20 more matches to the T20 league is delayed by a lack of a bigger window in the international cricket calendar and not demand.

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“For the IPL to move from 74 to 94 (matches), we really need a bigger window. What we have seen in this Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle, (which sets the international schedule), is that most of the international calendar is already spoken for by bilateral series between national teams, so we do not have much room. It is a limited window between roughly mid-March and the end of May,” Dhumal said.

“As soon as June starts, the monsoon approaches the southern part of India, so there is no way you can extend at that point in time.

If we try to go from 74 to 94 games in the current window, we will end up having more double-headers (when consecutive matches are played on the same day in the same stadium). That does not work well for broadcasters. We have to look at their interests too. That is why we have restricted ourselves to 74 games,” he added.

He also said that the league is not looking to add more teams as it becomes difficult to hold more matches. “When we go into the next cycle of bilaterals, we will try to see whether we can get a bigger window during this period so we can go from 74 to 94 games.

That is also why we are not thinking of extending the number of teams right now. With the current number of teams, you can still increase the number of matches. If you add more teams and then calculate home-and-away, it becomes difficult to make it work.”

Dhumal opined that there is less interest in bilateral series, and in this context, IPL deserves a bigger window in the international calendar.

“If you look at the transition over the last few years, there is definitely less interest in some bilateral games. That is why countries are coming up with their own leagues: the England and Wales Cricket Board’s The Hundred, Australia’s Big Bash League, the UAE’s International League T20, South Africa’s SA20 and the Caribbean Premier League.

“If this is the trend, then every country will want fewer bilaterals, or bilaterals that make more financial sense for them, and then there is scope to enlarge the IPL window. We are hoping for more discussions with all the countries and colleagues. If that works out, it should work out for everyone,” Dhumal said.

He felt that with the FTP already decided till 2027, the possibility of IPL expanding to 94 matches, may be looked at post next year.

“It makes sense, and it is already locked until 2027. But when they plan post-2027, we will have discussions. The IPL is not only adding value to India and Indian players; it is adding value to world cricket at large. So all these players would want more. Hopefully, when we decide on the next cycle, we will be able to carve out a bigger window so we can extend it beyond 74.”