Reports: BCCI planning to host IPL 2022 in 2011 group like format

The IPL 2021 is still in action where its UAE leg will commence on September 19 and will get concluded on October 15. However, the talks around the 2022 edition are already making noise where two new franchises will step up to mark their beginning. It was on August 31, Tuesday, BCCI sent out a release inviting two new teams.

BCCI has also put a base price of Rs 2000 cr for the two new teams of the Indian Premier League. Now, since two new teams will be part of the IPL 2022, the league games will certainly shoot up making it to a total of 94 matches. In the same light of events, BCCI is looking forward to removing the existing home and away format. The Indian Board is mulling the idea of reintroducing the group format which was used in IPL 2011.

The group idea was used back in IPL 2011 while 10 teams played the tournament

IPL 2011 saw 10 teams playing in the competition wherein they were divided into two groups of five each. In this format, every team will play against five teams on home and away conditions and four others once each. This format will be able to preserve 14 league games and the total league matches would be 74, which will anyway be two less than the maximum number. As per the contract with Star, the broadcaster, the no of games will have to be under the specified limit.

“We cannot have home and away format and 94 games, there is no window,” a BCCI official informed Cricbuzz.

There are a lot of talks around which two new cities will be in contention for the IPL 2022 edition. The Adani group of Ahmedabad has been said as an absolute favourite to enter the pool. On the other hand, the RPSG group is also reported to be interested and the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow also seems like one of the contenders. The 2022 season will also see BCCI hosting a mega auction and the incoming of two new teams is likely to make the T20 league all the more interesting and competitive.