Lalit Modi Backs IPL Expansion Plan, Says "I Told U So" to Chairman

Dhumal had said before that the IPL currently has a 74-match format, but that there is more room to grow the tournament in the future, especially as interest in bilateral cricket wanes. He said that leagues like The Hundred, the Big Bash League, and SA20 are part of a larger trend toward competitions based on franchises.

"If you look at the transition over the last few years, there is definitely less interest in some bilateral games," Dhumal told The Times network.

In a tweet on X, Modi wrote "I told u so" backing the Dhumal's decision of expanding the IPL windowq in the coming years.

However, Dhumal acknowledged that the current international calendar, locked until 2027, leaves little room for immediate expansion. "It [the bilateral calendar] makes sense, and it is already locked until 2027. But when they plan post-2027, we will have discussions... hopefully, when we decide on the next cycle, we will be able to carve out a bigger window so we can extend it beyond 74."

Dhumal also outlined possible solutions, including reducing bilateral commitments or identifying new windows in the global schedule. "There are different possibilities. One is reducing some bilaterals. Another is carving out a window elsewhere... all those possibilities can be worked out and whatever works best, we will do."

Emphasising the IPL's growing global influence, he added, "It is not only about the IPL... that is the new world order for cricket: fewer bilaterals, more league cricket, and in between you have ICC events, a bit like football."

- IANS