"We will redo a few stadiums a bit and bring back IPL with completely different extravaganza and fandom next year" - Sourav Ganguly on tournament's future after media rights success 

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly expects the Indian Premier League (IPL) to reach new heights following recent success in the media rights auction. The competition stamped its authority across the sporting world by amassing ₹48,390 crore across television and digital media sales for the next five-year cycle.

The astronomical sum means that the cash-rich league has surpassed several notable sporting leagues around the world in terms of broadcasting.

Expecting the league to only get bigger from this point onwards, Ganguly said in an interview with Sportstar:

"We will work on it for sure and develop overall infrastructure for a better fan experience. A lot of new stadiums have come up, and the infrastructure of cricket in this country is huge. We will redo a few stadiums a bit and bring back IPL with completely different extravaganza and fandom next year."

The IPL scaled new heights in terms of viewership in the 2020 season amid the COVID outbreak. However, the last three editions of the league have been confined to a specific and limited number of venues due to safety concerns.

Lauding IPL 2022's grand finish after the last two editions saw the playoffs being held in the UAE, Ganguly said:

“The last two years have been affected by COVID and the biggest thing is that despite COVID, we managed to host the tournament and this time, we finished it with great hype in Kolkata and Ahmedabad."

The league stage of the recently concluded season was conducted across four venues in Maharashtra. Following its culmination, the action shifted to Kolkata and Ahmedabad, which hosted the knockout matches.

The final was a spectacle to behold, with a full-house Narendra Modi Stadium witnessing Gujarat Titans (GT) being crowned champions.

"IPL has to go back to a home-and-away format from next year" - Sourav Ganguly

Tiring pitches and monotonous style of cricket have been a cause for concern rising from the use of limited venues. The home-and-away format, which bodes well for the franchises, was last implemented in the 2019 edition.

Venues such as the Wankhede and Chepauk have been instrumental for their respective franchises over the years. The re-introduction of the system will also allow ardent fans to witness their team playing in their own backyard.

Noting the importance of bringing back the original format, Ganguly said:

“It’s a great tournament and it will continue to thrive. But most importantly, the IPL has to go back to a home-and-away format from next year.”

The IPL is set for an expansion of huge proportions in the coming years. To start, the league will have a two-and-a-half month window in the upcoming FTP cycle. The broadcasters have also been informed to plan for a season comprising of 74 matches in total.