Past IPL chairman Lalit Modi once again fueled debate around the league, this time raising serious concerns about its current structure. According to him, the tournament is losing a lot of revenue by not following the traditional home-and-away format that was originally intended.
Lalit Modi questions the current IPL format
Modi’s argument revolves around a simple but powerful idea – less compliance means less income. As the IPL expands to 10 teams in 2022, a full home-and-away system would ideally result in a 94-match season. However, the BCCI continued with a shortened 74-match format, using a grouping system instead.
This 20-match gap, Modi claims, is costing the league dearly. Based on current media rights valuations – around ₹118 crore per match – the IPL potentially stands to lose around ₹2,400 crore in revenue per season. It’s not just the board that suffers; franchises are also affected.
Under the IPL’s revenue sharing model, media rights revenue is shared equally between the BCCI and the teams. This means that each franchise can lose a significant share every year. Modi estimates that each team stands to lose around ₹ 120 crore due to the reduced number of games.
Also READ: In Pictures – Meet Tanvi Shah, the hottie in Gujarat Titans for IPL 2026
‘That’s not what we’re selling’: Modi raises concerns over IPL contracts
Finances aside, Modi also raised a more serious issue – whether the current format lives up to the initial commitments made when the IPL was conceptualized and sold to stakeholders.
“This is not what we sell” he noted that the league was built on the promise of a full home-and-away format in which each team played the other teams twice. He believes that this structure is not just an advantage, but a key part of the IPL’s commercial model.
“It is a contractual obligation to provide them with fixtures at home and away, given the fees they pay.” Deviating from this format could raise questions among stakeholders, he added.
Modi also expressed doubts about whether all parties would agree to the current structure. “Has everybody signed it? I guarantee they haven’t,” he said, suggesting there may be disagreements behind the scenes.
He dismissed common justifications such as scheduling issues and player workload as insufficient reasons to deviate from the original plan. According to him, they are just that “excuse” and the real value of the IPL lies in preserving the integrity of its full format.
Interestingly, Modi’s criticism comes at a time when IPL franchises are hitting record highs. recent deals involving teams like Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RCB) they emphasized the great financial attractiveness of the league. While Modi acknowledged this growth, he insisted that the IPL is still not working to its full potential.
Expanding the season to include all 94 matches, he said, would not only recover the estimated revenue loss, but also increase the value of the franchises.
Also READ: IPL 2026 – Who is Ananya Birla? Meet RCB’s new chairman’s sister
