IPL will have an official two-and-a-half month window from next ICC FTP calendar: Jay Shah

According to Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Indian Premier League (IPL) will have a two-and-a-half-month window in the International Cricket Council (ICCnext )'s FTP cycle. The decision was made just a few hours after the media rights to the marquee cricket tournament were sold for a ridiculously high price.

Disney+Star renewed its collaboration with the IPL after winning the bid for Package A, which was the TV rights in the Indian subcontinent, for a staggering INR 23,575 crore during the intense bidding war for the media rights. Meanwhile, the Reliance Industries-owned media venture Viacom18 has paid INR 20,500 crore for digital rights in the Indian subcontinent.

Jay Shah was asked about BCCI's plans to manage the window during an exclusive interview with NDTV, with the number of IPL matches reportedly increasing to 94 in the future. In response, the BCCI secretary stated that a discussion had already taken place with various boards, including the governing body of world cricket, the ICC.

“That is an aspect we have worked upon. Let me inform you that from the next ICC FTP calendar, IPL will have an official two-and-a-half-month window so that all the top international cricketers can participate. We have had discussions with various boards as well as the ICC”, he said.

The title-holders Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants both participated in IPL 2022, which concluded on May 29 this year. As a result, the number of matches was increased from 60 to 74 (70 league + four knockouts), extending the tournament's duration to well over two months.

Typically, the BCCI organises the IPL during the Indian summer (March-May), with the 2020 and 2021 editions being exceptional cases due to COVID-19 cases in India. The entire 2020 tournament, as well as the second leg of the 2021 tournament, were held in the UAE during the months of September-October-November.