Indian Premier League, in all likelihood, will go through some format changes before the next edition kicks off. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering the option of hosting more night matches in the upcoming edition of the League.
The new proposal
In the current IPL plan, the league continues for 45 days annually. But a proposed schedule suggests that each team play only one day-match in the entire T20 league and that too in the weekend. A few double-headers on weekends are welcome as well. But precisely the board wants more games at night which means there will be more days allocated to the IPL. It has been decided after consulting with the broadcasters in concern. The concerned franchises will also be informed about the plans when the IPL governing council meets the owners in the coming months.
The plan details
The idea is to start the match at 7 PM local time. Among the franchises Mumbai Indians (MI), the four-time champions, already expressed disagreement with the early starts. According to them, the crowds come to watch the match at the Wankhede Stadium post office hours. But the plan needs approval from the IPL governing council so nothing is finalized yet.
So the next season is most likely to start on April 1 and continue until May 30. The auction for the next edition will take place on December 19 in Kolkata.
A source from the board was quoted by Indian Express as saying, “There is a plan in place of playing more games at night. If it is passed, each team will have to play only one game in the afternoon. Teams who play in the north face heat waves and conditions get more difficult. There is a plan of using all 60 days instead of wrapping up the IPL in 45 days. The IPL GC has to approve it.”
