IPL to have exclusive two and half month window from 2024 season: Reports: The cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) has played another masterstroke as it will have an official two-and-a-half month exclusive window from the next Future Tour Programme (FTP). The ICC’s next FTP will start in 2024 and no international schedule will be fixture during that period.
The Indian T20 League, which usually begins in March and runs till the end of May, will now spill over to June after the BCCI successfully sanctions two-and-a-half months window from the ICC.
The hints on the development were earlier given by the BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who has been actively working to get an exclusive window.
“Let me inform you that from the next ICC FTP calendar, IPL will have an official two-and-a-half month window so that all the top international cricketers can participate. We have had discussions with various boards as well as the ICC,” Jay Shah had told PTI earlier.
While all the cricket boards would agree to it, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to launch an official protest as their players are restricted to participate in the Indian Premier League due to cross-border political tensions. However, Ramiz Raja is unlikely to get support from other member countries.
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“The problem with Ramiz is that he has to say certain things to his country’s media and he does that which is fair. But the trend of his performance at ICC meetings tells a different story. He never puts in a strong protests. Plus he is a thorough gentleman and he knows that this is happening. The boards want it and the players want it,” the senior official said when asked about PCB’s objection to IPL’s extended window.
Notably, the Indian Premier League (IPL) recently expanded to a ten-teams affair after the BCCI successfully added Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to the pool of eight existing franchises ahead of the IPL 2022. With the tournament getting two new teams, the total matches got increased from 60 to 74. The number is, however, expected to rise in the coming few years to 84 and finally 94.
As per the reports, the BCCI will push to increase the total IPL matches to 84 in the next two seasons of the Indian Premier League. While it will go up to 94 by the IPL 2026.
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