‘Two IPLs A Years, T20Is Only In World Cups’ – Ravi Shastri’s Bold Predictions

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that ICC should consider scrapping the T20I bilateral series to give more time to franchise T20 tournaments. Shastri believes that international T20s should only be played in World Cups.

The IPL media and broadcasting rights will be up for sale in June and BCCI is expected to fetch a whopping amount. Considering the money involved, IPL could get even bigger with more matches and a longer tournament. This will, however, further squeeze the international calendar.

Ravi Shastri backed his opinion by saying that people don’t remember bilateral series thus cricket should go the football way and focus more on franchise tournaments, with international T20 games being played in World Cups.

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

“Yes, absolutely, there’s too much of bilateral stuff going on in T20 cricket,” Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s Runorder programme. “I’ve said that [before], even when I was the coach of India, I could see it happening in front of my eyes. It should go the football way, where, in T20 cricket, you just play the World Cup. Bilateral tournaments – no one remembers.

“I don’t remember a single game in the last six-seven years as coach of India, barring the World Cup. A team wins the World Cup, they will remember it. Unfortunately, we didn’t, so I don’t remember that either. Where I am coming from is: you play franchise cricket around the globe; each country is allowed to have their franchise cricket, which is their domestic cricket, and then, every two years, you come and play a World Cup.”

Former Indian cricketer, Aakash Chopra also pointed out that there could be two editions of IPL every year. “I actually foresee there might be two editions of the IPL in every calendar year,” Chopra said. “And that’s not too far away.”

“That’s the future,” agreed Shastri. “It could be tomorrow – 140 games, split 70-70. In two seasons. You never know. That’s the way it’s going to go. That’s the way it’s developed as a beast of a property. And you cannot hide away from that.

“You might think that’s overdose, but nothing is overdose in India. I have been sitting outside the bubble, I have been watching people, how they have seen, how they have reviewed these last few months, especially [after coming] out of Covid. And they are loving every bit of it, and they are almost having withdrawal symptoms.”