Punjab’s co-owner suggests an interesting way to conduct the Indian T20 League in the future

The Indian Cricket Board bagged a massive media rights deal of INR 48,390 crores for the next five-year cycle. Punjab’s co-owner believes that the cash-rich league should have at least 14 home games in the future.

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"IPL has taken cricket to the global level. The IPL has provided the spark cricket needed and made it a global sport. It will get even bigger.

"Having said that, seven matches at home, it is way too less. It should be a minimum of 14. I really see a much longer season which is long overdue.

Furthermore, he bats for a longer season of the Indian T20 League. Ness Wadia reckons that the tournament can have two seasons in an year if there is less possibility of conducting a four-month tournament

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"If you can't have a long season of four months why not look at two seasons, one in India and one in a different country every year. Indians are everywhere around the world. There is huge potential for having many more games," said Wadia.

Asked why the home games need to be doubled, he said: "It is a logical reason. How much are seven matches at home? Too few in my opinion. There has to be a bigger window. In per match value, the IPL is bigger than EPL now and look at the number of games each team plays there (38)."

"I would say it is already happening. There is no doubt that will eventually happen.The IPL has revived, grown and globalised cricket. And believe me it is the tip of the iceberg.

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"The tournament is around for 15 years and the window should have become bigger many years ago. It is long overdue. And it will happen. For how long can you keep genie in the bottle." Asked about the viewer fatigue factor with the IPL getting longer: "At some point, we will have to factor in that also. That is where the creativity comes and we can see how leagues are run around the world. We are long away from fatigue at the moment. We will cross the bridge when we get there."

Gujarat and Lucknow were the two new franchises added in the Indian T20 League 2022. Both teams reached the playoffs and Gujarat went on to clinch the title under the leadership of Hardik Pandya.