Ravi Shastri: Two IPL seasons per year highly likely in the future

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has made a bold prediction about the Indian Premier League's future. On the Vaughany and Tuffers CC podcast, Shastri predicted the expansion of the IPL into two seasons per year. He also added that the second one could be a shorter knockout tournament in the World Cup format.

The 60-year-old is of the opinion that the increasing television demand for IPL content could see the birth of a second season in the future, along with the addition of newer teams on top of the 10 franchises that exist currently.

"I think you might have two [IPL] seasons," said Shastri. "I wouldn't be surprised at all. If bilateral cricket is reduced, you might well have a shorter format of the IPL in the latter half of the year, more like a World Cup format with a knockout that decides the winner.

"The full competition with 10 teams could go to 12 teams in the future with the schedule stretching from one-and-a-half to two months."

Shastri also told that the growth of a tournament as big as the IPL is inevitable and it is good for the future of the sport as well as all the people involved in and around it.

"All that is possible because it is driven by the money and supply and demand. The demand is big for that type of format. The IPL will be tempted to go in that direction," he said. "It's great for the sport, great for the players, broadcasters and people who work around the teams. It's [the IPL] an industry on its own now."

Many former and current players have been critical about bilateral cricket of late and believe that the expansion of T20 Leagues is the way forward for cricket. Shastri has just added more weight to that section with his opinion now.

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