Two IPLs In One Year? "Wouldn't Be Surprised At All," Says Star Ex-India Coach Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri said that while one season will be a full-blown edition in the same format the competition has been played in all these years, there may be a shorter season with more knockout rounds in the latter part of the year.
Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri made a bold prediction, saying that we may soon see two seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in a single year. Shastri said that while one season will be a full-blown edition in the same format the competition has been played in all these years, there may be a shorter season with more knockout rounds in the latter part of the year. His comments come at a time when domestic T20 leagues are growing in prominence.
"I think you might have two (IPL) seasons," Shastri said on "The Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show".
"I wouldn't be surprised at all. You might have a full competition with 10 teams -- it could go to 12 teams in the future where the corridor can go from one-and-a-half months to two months. And if bilateral cricket is reduced, you might well have a shorter format of the IPL in the latter half of the year, where it's more like a World Cup format which is like a knockout after a little while to decide who's the winner," he went on to explain.
"All that is possible and it is driven by the money and supply and demand. The demand is big for that type of format," he said.
Shastri said that the IPL is good for not only the cricketers and boards, but also people working around cricket like the broadcasters, team staff members and the hospitality industry as well.
The IPL, last season, was increased from 8 teams to 10 teams and the tournament is set to get an extended window in the next FTP cycle.
India Cricket Team