"It does not matter whether it is required or not" - Aakash Chopra on the likelihood of 2 IPLs being played in a year

Aakash Chopra believes two editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played in a single year, a few years down the line.

The IPL, which started as an eight-team tournament and was briefly contested by 10 teams a few years back, is now back to a 10-team affair. While only 74 matches were played in IPL 2022, the tournament is likely to see 94 games being played going ahead.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra shared his views on the possibility of the IPL being staged twice a year. He said:

"When you talk about this, then you feel if two IPLs are required. It does not matter whether it is required or not. Will it happen or won't happen? That is the big question and I feel it will happen."

The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) player reckons a fully-fledged and truncated version of the IPL will be held every year. Aakash Chopra elaborated:

"It will not happen now, it will not happen in this rights cycle, it will not happen in the next five years but it will happen in the five years after that. It will 100% happen, there will be a big IPL, where there will be 94 matches, and one small IPL which will be over in one month, where all teams will play each other maybe once."

The international cricket calendar is likely to take a major hit if two IPLs are staged in a single year. The availability of all overseas players for both editions will also be a question mark.

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"The market forces are going to decide" - Aakash Chopra on two IPLs being played in a year

The IPL is a money-spinner for the BCCI [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra added that market dynamics will be the deciding factor in favor of two IPLs taking place in a year. He observed:

"It is sure the IPL will not remain one tournament of 90-odd matches. You might ask why it is required to be done? It is not for you and me, the market forces are going to decide."

The 44-year-old concluded by stating that the IPL will take its own course going forward. Chopra explained:

"Once you have sown the seeds, which was in your hands, and given them water for a few days, after that it takes its own course. Now it can become a huge banyan tree, all that can happen. Now it is the natural evolution of a tournament like the IPL."

Aakash Chopra reckons the erstwhile Champions League T20 could also see a return instead of the second IPL. While acknowledging that there could be some player overlap issues between the teams across the leagues in different nations, he pointed out that those can be resolved.