The Indian Premier League (IPL) is currently split on whether to hold a large auction. Teams with strong rosters want to stop these big auctions, while those with weaker teams want them to continue.
Discussions are still happening, and a decision might be made soon. The final decision lies with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), but the board will consider the opinions of both the majority and the minority, according to BCCI secretary Jay Shah.
“We’ve listened to what all the teams have to say,” Shah said in an interview with Cricbuzz. “We believe that even a minority opinion is just as important as the majority’s. In the end, the leaders of the BCCI will make the final decision. Some teams with strong rosters think there’s no need for a large-scale auction, while teams without strong rosters want one.”
However, Shah suggested that a mega auction might not be entirely ruled out. “Consistency is key for the development of the sport, rather than constant changes,” he explained.
A key point to talk about is adding more games from 74 to 84 in the next season. Since the IPL now has 10 teams instead of 8, there should be more matches (in a home and away format, there should be 94 games including the playoffs and the final).
But, with a busy international schedule, player fatigue, and a short time frame, this might be difficult to achieve.
“Nothing is certain yet,” Shah mentioned. “We’ll make a joint decision. We need to consider the players’ workload and the time frame as well. It’s mentioned in the agreement, but the BCCI will make the final call.”
The BCCI is also thinking about including a sixth team in the Women’s Premier League, depending on whether there are enough players available.
