For the past couple of weeks, there’s been a rumor going around in the cricketing fraternity that IPL would soon be held twice a year. Former India opening batter turned star commentator Aakash Chopra has given his opinion on the matter.
The IPL first began in 2008 as an annual tournament played among eight franchises for around two months. The number of teams were increased to 10 in the 2022 season after the addition of Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans.
Aakash Chopra reckons that there would be two editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in a single year in the future. Chopra feels staging of IPL twice a year is on the cards regardless of the requirement. He also said that there could be longer editions of IPL with more games, followed by a small edition.
It will 100% happen: Aakash Chopra on the possibility of two IPLs in a year
Chopra has become a well-known personality in the cricket fraternity with his unique style of commentating. He is an active pundit of the game and shares his thoughts about the future of the IPL on his YouTube channel. He said that the market forces are going to decide the fate of the IPL, while he also reckons the tournament might remain unchanged for the next five years.
Chopra also spoke about the requirement of T20 Internationals (T20I). Earlier, former India coach Ravi Shastri opined that the bilateral T20I must be discontinued to make way for more franchise cricket. Chopra, however, had a different opinion, stating that T20Is must continue for fans and broadcasters. He also added that One-day Internationals (ODI) were boring and not engaging for fans and broadcasters.
“When you talk about this, then you feel if two IPLs are required. It does not matter whether it is required or not. Will it happen or won’t happen? That is the big question and I feel it will happen. It will 100% happen, there will be a big IPL, where there will be 94 matches, and one small IPL which will be over in one month, where all teams will play each other maybe once,” said the former Indian opener.
“Once you have sown the seeds, which was in your hands, and given them water for a few days, after that it takes its own course. Now it can become a huge banyan tree, all that can happen. Now it is the natural evolution of a tournament like the IPL,” Chopra added.
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