It has been learnt that while there will be 74 games in the first two years of the new cycle - 2023 and 2024 - in the next couple of years, the number of games will be 84. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the number of games played in the marquee Indian Premier League (IPL) will increase per season in the 2023-27 cycle, hinted the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).The recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, which was the 15th edition of the professional Twenty20 cricket league established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was a 10-team tournament.The Indian Premier League 2022 saw the addition of two new teams – Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) – to the cash-rich league.
With the introduction of the two new teams, a ten-team format was created by the governing body where 74 matches were played, significantly greater than the 60 matches from the previous season.All the teams played 14 games each in the league stage of the Indian Premier League 2022. The 10 teams played twice against the teams in their group and the team in the same row while they will play once against the remaining teams of the other group.According to the same report, 74 games are expected to be played in the first two years of the 2023-27 cycle. The next two years could see 84 games per season and in the fifth and final season of the cycle 94 games could be played. Even though the option of 84 games is open the bidders are believed to have been instructed to go with the calculation of 410 games.Meanwhile, there is no clarity on how the governing body will divide the number of games to make it 84 and 94 games in a season.In the case of 94 games, each team will likely play twice each, home and away, followed by the four play-offs. In the case of 84 games, each team will likely play twice against the teams in their group and twice against two teams of the other group and once against the remaining three teams.Also, the number of games in the special package would be 18 games for a 74-game season, 20 games for an 84-game season and 22 games in a 94-game season.
