BCCI Rules Out IPL Expansion to 12 Teams, Focus Shifts to Landmark 20th Season in 2027

A packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during a big night match. (Photo: Pexels — representative image)

The Indian Premier League will stay a 10-team tournament for now. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has firmly ruled out reports that two new franchises could join the league from the 2028 season, ending days of speculation that had set fan groups and franchise circles buzzing.

The Report That Started the Buzz

A report published on Wednesday claimed that the BCCI was exploring the addition of two new teams from IPL 2028, which would have taken the league from 10 teams to 12. Pune and Vadodara were named as the leading contenders to host the new sides, with each franchise reportedly valued at more than $1 billion. The idea quickly caught fire online, with fans debating which cities deserved a team and how a bigger league would change the format and schedule.

BCCI's Firm Response

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia moved swiftly to shut down the speculation. Speaking to news agency PTI on 11 November, he said the board had not discussed the idea at all. "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," Saikia said, calling the reports speculative.

His message was clear: the board's full attention is on the next season. "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," he added.

All Eyes on IPL 2027

The 2027 season will be a milestone year for the tournament, which began in 2008. The 20th edition is scheduled to begin in March 2027, and the build-up is already underway. All ten teams must reveal their final lists of retained and released players by 17 November 2026, ahead of the mini-auction in Goa on 16 December 2026.

That auction, the last of the current cycle, will be a mini-auction rather than a mega one, with teams filling only a few vacant slots. The IPL has had ten teams since 2022, when Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants joined the league, and that line-up will remain unchanged for at least one more season.

What About the Bigger Purse?

Saikia also cleared the air on another hot topic: reports that the franchise salary purse could rise from Rs 125 crore to Rs 150 crore. "There is nothing of that sort regarding an increase in the salary purse," he said, adding that the mega auction will take place sometime next year and any decision on the purse will be taken after that. For now, teams will plan their retentions and auction strategies within the existing purse.

Why Fans Will Have to Wait

For supporters hoping to see their city join the IPL, the wait continues. A 12-team league would mean more matches, new rivalries and fresh local heroes, but the BCCI has made it plain that expansion is not even on the table at this stage. The board's priority is to make the 20th season a grand success, and any conversation about new teams can only begin once that is done.

The IPL remains the world's richest and most-watched T20 league, and its next chapter is already taking shape — not with new teams, but with a landmark season, a December auction and retention calls watched closely by millions of fans.

Which two cities would you pick if the IPL ever expands to 12 teams? Tell us in the comments below.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PM Modi Heads to Manila for ASEAN, East Asia and Likely Quad Summits

Image
The Manila skyline. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Philippine capital from November 16 to 18 for the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits. (Photo: Pexels — representative image) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Manila next week for a packed three-day diplomatic visit, headlining the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit — with a meeting of Quad leaders also likely on the sidelines. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced the visit on Thursday, November 12, calling it a key moment for India's engagement with Southeast Asia at a time of rapid geopolitical change. The Prime Minister will be in the Philippines from November 16 to 18, 2026. The main summit sessions take place on November 17, hosted by the Philippines in its capacity as the ASEAN Chair for 2026. Three Summits in Three Days Modi will attend the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit on November 17. His programme also includes a dinner hosted by Philippine President F...
Read more

Andhra Pradesh Lines Up ₹9.89 Lakh Crore Investments Through 303 MoUs at CII Summit

Image
An aerial view of Visakhapatnam's coastline, the host city of the 31st CII Partnership Summit. (Photo: Pexels — representative image) Andhra Pradesh has announced investment proposals worth ₹9.89 lakh crore through 303 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) at the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu made the announcement on Thursday, 12 November 2026, calling it the biggest investment figure announced by any Indian state. The two-day summit is jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the theme "Trade, Technology, Trust and Thought Leadership in a Changing Global Landscape". Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan and IT Minister Nara Lokesh attended the inaugural programme. A Record Investment Pipeline According to...
Read more

Hardik Pandya Moves to Punjab Kings as Arshdeep Singh Joins Mumbai Indians in Blockbuster IPL 2027 Trade

Image
Hardik Pandya in India colours after the 2024 T20 World Cup win. (Photo: Prime Minister's Office, via Wikimedia Commons) The IPL 2027 trade window has produced its biggest headline yet. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is moving to Punjab Kings, while left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh is heading in the opposite direction to join the five-time champions. The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed the straight swap through an official IPL announcement on Wednesday, November 11. It is the kind of trade that changes two teams at once, and it has already set off a wave of debate among fans about who got the better deal. The Deal in Numbers Both players will change teams at a fee of Rs 18 crore. Pandya joins Punjab at an increased fee, up from his existing contract of Rs 16.35 crore, while Arshdeep moves to Mumbai at his existing fee of Rs 18 crore. The exchange was completed ahead of the IPL 2027 mini-auction, scheduled for December 16, 2026, in Goa. The BCCI has also ext...
Read more