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The possibility of the Indian Premier League (IPL) becoming a 12-team tournament in the coming years has received a big setback. There have been reports about the BCCI planning to increase the number of teams from 10 to 12 from the 2028 season, but the secretary Devajit Saikia has now made it clear that no such plan is being discussed at the moment.
With the IPL becoming one of the biggest cricket leagues in the world, fans were expecting another expansion. However, Saikia has dismissed all such reports and said that the BCCI is currently focused on the upcoming editions.
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BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia rejects reports of IPL expansion
The BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia made it clear that the board has not discussed the idea of adding two more teams to the IPL, either officially or unofficially. He also dismissed the reports about a possible 12-team tournament in 2028, saying that there is no plan for such a change at this stage.
The BCCI secretary further revealed that the board's main focus is on the 2027 IPL, which will be the 20th edition of the tournament. The board wants to make this special season a big event and is not thinking about anything beyond it right now.
Saikia was quoted as saying by BCCI, "We have neither discussed formally nor informally the possibility of the IPL becoming a 12-team affair in 2028. It is not in our scope at this stage. We are concerned about the IPL of 2027, which is going to be the 20th edition of the IPL.
So, it will be a big affair. We are concerned about that, and we are not considering anything beyond that. Whatever news is circulating in the media, I think these are all speculative reports from some fertile minds. I have no comments to offer regarding those. There is no sanctity to those reports.”
BCCI clears air on Rs. 150 Crore team purse ahead of IPL Mega Auction
The BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also gave an important update on the IPL team purse ahead of the next year’s mega auction. There were reports that the BCCI could increase the team purse from Rs. 125 crore to Rs. 150 crore before the 2027 mega auction for the 2028 season.
However, Saikia has also denied those claims. He explained by saying, “There is nothing of that sort regarding an increase in the salary purse. The mega auction will be sometime next year. This time it will not be a mega auction. Our auction is going to take place on December 16, which will be the last year of the cycle. Thereafter, we will take a call.”
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BCCI secretary reacts to Juhi Chawla's IPL schedule suggestion
Meanwhile, Devajit Saikia also avoided commenting on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Juhi Chawla's recent suggestion about changing the IPL schedule. Juhi had recently suggested that the IPL should be played in January instead of its usual April-May window.
However, Saikia said that the BCCI is currently focused on organizing the 2027 season. He noted, “We are concerned about hosting the 2027 IPL, which is going to start in March 2027. That’s all.”
