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Opinion

Why a ten-team expanded IPL won't be good for viewership

Roar Rookie
10th April, 2021
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Roar Rookie
10th April, 2021
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IPL 2021 is up and running at a time when India is hitting new highs with COVID-19 cases.

While there is usually about a ten-month gap between two IPL seasons, this one has started within five months of the end of the last season. The BCCI announced big changes for the IPL 2022, most notable being the addition of two new teams to make it a ten-team tournament.

How would that change the competition and the viewing experience for people is something I’d like to discuss further in the article.

Older editions of the IPL have had more than eight teams; IPL 2011 with ten teams and IPL 2012 and 2013 with nine teams. One of the most obvious advantages of more teams is more states getting a direct representation in IPL.

The IPL has a very big fan base and for fans of states with no teams of their own to get one would add to their viewing experience. Also, the IPL has been a stepping stone for a lot of players’ careers and their first real chance to showcase their talent in front of the world. More teams means more talent getting scouted, more players getting to play at the biggest stage in franchise cricket, which will have benefits in the long run for the Indian cricket team and maybe even for other countries.

The Mumbai Indians’ dominance has been clearly seen in the past few seasons as they have won three out of the four IPL trophies. More teams would add to the competition and make it more interesting and maybe even more challenging for Mumbai Indians, which would bring out the best in them.

With that being said, the IPL is a long competition that runs for over 50 days with 60 games being played. Two more teams would mean a total of 94 matches to be played, which will be a headache for everyone: the viewers, organisers, broadcasters, the ground staff and most importantly, the players and teams.

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There is a high possibility that the format would be similar to the one followed in 2011, which involved the ten teams being divided into two groups of five. In the group stage, each team plays 14 games: facing the top four teams in their group two times each (one home and one away game), four teams in the other group once, and the remaining team two times. All the fixtures would be determined by a draw.

Another thing to note is IPL teams from the seasons with nine or ten teams have gone defunct for mostly monetary reasons. The IPL involves huge sums of money. Would it still be possible to ensure financial fair play after adding two more teams or are we going to see more Indians fleeing to Britain for you know what?

I’m not in favour of the expanded tournament, and not just in the IPL. I also prefer the ten-team World Cup over other previous editions. While I do agree more teams and more participation are good for the progress of the sport, the idea of minnows playing against each other on the biggest stage isn’t too appealing to me.

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