A fresh controversy has emerged around the business model of the Indian Premier League after its founding architect Lalit Modi claimed that the tournament is losing nearly ₹2,400 crore in potential revenue annually due to structural inefficiencies.
Modi, who conceptualised and launched the IPL in 2008, stated that the league is no longer following the originally intended full home-and-away format. Under this structure, each team was expected to play every other team twice in a season. However, despite expanding to 10 teams, the IPL currently conducts only 74 matches per season, significantly lower than the 90-plus matches required for a complete double round-robin format.
According to Modi, this shortfall of nearly 20 matches per season is directly impacting the league’s revenue potential, particularly from its high-value media rights deals. He estimated that each IPL match generates approximately ₹100–120 crore in media value, suggesting that the missing fixtures translate into nearly ₹2,400 crore in unrealised revenue every year.
He further emphasised that the current structure deviates from the original expectations set with franchise owners at the time of investment. “That is not what we sold,” Modi remarked, highlighting that franchises had committed based on a model promising more matches and higher returns.
The financial implications extend beyond the league’s central earnings. Under the IPL’s revenue-sharing model, the central pool—comprising media rights and sponsorship revenues—is distributed between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and franchise teams. A reduced number of matches, therefore, affects overall distributions to stakeholders.
Modi also pointed out that fewer fixtures negatively impact franchise valuations. With a limited number of home games, teams lose out on match-day revenues, local sponsorship opportunities, and fan engagement, all of which are key drivers of long-term brand value.
Calling for a structural correction, Modi suggested increasing the number of matches by at least 20 per season to align the tournament with its original vision. He questioned why the league has not adopted a complete home-and-away system, stating that the current format falls short of contractual and commercial expectations.
