BCCI prioritizes player wellbeing, keeps IPL 2025 match count unchanged

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to keep the number of matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 unchanged at 74, despite earlier expansion plans. This decision was made after the cricketing body put the importance of managing player workload against the potential for increased revenue.

The cash-rich league had initially laid out plans for growth in its media rights tender document for the 2023-27 cycle. The document projected an increase to 84 matches for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, with a further jump to 94 matches in 2027.

However, the BCCI has chosen to maintain the number of matches for the upcoming season. Jay Shah, the outgoing BCCI president, explained the reason behind this decision.

"We have not taken a call on organizing 84 matches in IPL 2025 since we also have to factor the load on the players due to the increase in matches. While it's (84 matches) part of the contract, it's up to the BCCI to decide whether to organize 74 or 84 matches," Shah told the Economic Times.

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BCCI long-term vision to sustain cricket

The decision to keep the match count at 74 is not only because of player management. It affects the structure of the media rights packages sold in 2022 for INR 48,390.5 crore (approximately USD 6.2 billion). Particular interest is Package C, also known as the special package, which includes high-profile games such as the tournament opener, weekend evening matches, and the playoffs. The number of matches in this package is directly tied to the total number of games in the season, with 18 matches for a 74-game season and increases for additional games.

The IPL's growth trajectory seems to have hit a temporary level, BCCI's decision to prioritize player health and performance, especially with key international fixtures around the corner, the board is taking a long-term view of cricket's sustainability in the country.