IPL 2028 could feature an expansion to 12 teams. The BCCI, which runs the league, has started early talks with private equity groups. This is linked to the next media rights cycle, which starts in 2028. Two cities are in the running for the new teams: Pune and Vadodara. The report comes from Mint, citing two people who know about the plans but did not want to be named.
Investors are already looking at the two new teams. The names include Permira, a European buyout fund. Sovereign wealth funds from West Asia are also interested. So are large Indian family-owned business groups. US-based family offices and very wealthy individuals in India are evaluating the idea too. Interest in the IPL is at an all-time high, so each new team could be worth more than $1 billion.
Earlier this year, a group bought Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $1.78 billion, about Rs 16,660 crore. In another big deal, Lakshmi N Mittal, his son Aditya Mittal and Adar Poonawalla bought a majority stake in Rajasthan Royals with a bid of $1.65 billion, about Rs 15,600 crore. Last year, Ahmedabad-based Torrent Group bought a 67% majority stake in Gujarat Titans for around $875 million.
The current IPL media rights deal, for 2023-2027, sold for about Rs 48,000 crore, roughly $6.2 billion at the exchange rate then. The next cycle, from 2028 to 2033, is expected to go even higher.
Pune has had IPL teams before. Sahara Group owned Pune Warriors from 2011 to 2013. That team pulled out after the BCCI moved to cash the bank guarantee because the owners failed to pay the franchise fee. The IPL came back to Pune for two seasons, 2016 and 2017. Rising Pune Supergiant was a temporary team then, brought in while Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended.
The IPL started with eight teams in 2008. It grew to 10 in 2011 when Pune Warriors India and Kochi Tuskers Kerala joined. But Kochi was removed after just one season because of unpaid bank guarantees. Pune Warriors left in 2013, and the league went back to eight teams. In October 2021, the league expanded to 10 again. International equity firm CVC Capital won the Ahmedabad team with a bid of Rs 5,625 crore.
IPL 2028 Format: Can BCCI Plans to Make 94 Matches?
The BCCI has a plan to expand the IPL from 74 matches to 94 matches starting in 2028. The idea is to scrap the current group system and go back to a full home-and-away format. So every team would play every other team twice, once at home and once away. That means each franchise would play 18 league matches instead of the current 14. Nine would be at home and nine away. The total number of league games would rise from 74 to 94.
The move is also about TV numbers. In the current 2026 format, viewership drops by 15 to 20 percent in the middle of the league. Fans lose interest because the group-based table is complex. A full home-and-away schedule would fix that. The BCCI thinks a football-style table is easier for fans to follow. It is also better for broadcasters, because every match carries equal weight. Going to 12 teams would need an even bigger window. It could also thin out the domestic talent pool. That pool is already stretched across 10 teams.
But the biggest problem is finding space for 20 extra matches. The current window is only about 60 to 65 days. The Indian monsoon usually starts after May, so the season cannot run later. A BCCI official said the league cannot play 94 games in the current window because of the monsoon. The international cricket calendar is also packed. Bilateral series and ICC tournaments are locked in until 2027. That would mean pausing international cricket.
There is also official doubt about the timeline. In June 2026, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said expansion was not feasible right then. He said there was no discussion at that moment about going from 74 to 94 matches. He said it was not happening immediately. So while IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has made clear he wants to push for a bigger window after 2027, the secretary’s comments suggest the 94-match plan is more of a long-term goal than a sure thing for 2028. As things stand, a 74-match IPL is the most likely outcome for now.
FAQs
Q. When could the IPL expand to 12 teams?
A. The IPL could expand to 12 teams from the 2028 season.
Q. Which two cities are being considered for new IPL teams?
A. Pune and Vadodara are the two cities being considered.
Q. How much did Royal Challengers Bengaluru sell for?
A. A group of investors bought RCB for $1.78 billion, around Rs 16,660 crore.
Q. When did the IPL last expand to 10 teams?
A. The IPL returned to 10 teams in 2022 after Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans joined.
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