The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is keeping its options open on having two seasons of IPL in a calendar year. The 17th edition of the IPL begins on March 22.

The idea had been floated a couple of years back by former captain and head coach Ravi Shastri.

"I think you might have two (IPL) seasons. 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,” Shastri had said on Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast. "All that is possible because it is driven by money and supply and demand. The demand is big for that type of format."

However, it will depend on finding a suitable window.

"In the IPL media rights for the five-year (2023-2027) cycle, we are planning to have 74 games in the first two seasons, then gradually go up to 84 in the next two and 94 if we get that kind of window.

"As of now, the kind of bilateral arrangement that we have for the coming four years, we need to find a window for 84 games and subsequently for 94," IPL chairman Arun Dhumal told The Telegraph on Sunday.

"The season is so packed with all these bilateral arrangements and ICC events happening every year, it is difficult to find time. But if there's a window available and if we can do something creative, which adds value to what we are doing, definitely we'll look at that.

"As of now I can't give any assurance. But going forward, if there's a window available and a good opportunity for the BCCI and our players, we wouldn't shirk away from taking any call," Dhumal said.

Is the BCCI open to having a T10 tournament for the second season of the IPL or will it remain a T20 format? The IPL chairman was non-committal.

"We haven't discussed that as yet. It's just doing the rounds in the media... And when there's been no discussion, there can't be any decision.

"So if at all there's something that we need to think about, we will definitely think so in the best interest of the game," he said.

Dhumal, who confirmed that a mega auction will take place after the 2024 season, doesn't wish to get into the country versus franchise debate.

"It's not a question of players preferring franchise cricket. I think it is the fan who drives the game. That is my fervent belief... we have seen how IPL has grown over the last 15-16 years to become the second biggest sports league in the world," he said."

Obviously because it's the fans who are loving the game, the format of the game, the kind of engagement that they see, the kind of matches they see. So that is what has taken the league to the next level. So when you have that kind of craze, people don't only just play for money, but they play for creating that entertainment, the buzz around the stadium."

So the buzz for IPL is altogether different vis-a-vis any other bilateral game... that happens. But at the same time they do understand the respect that they will get as a player when they play and win for the country..."

I'm very sure of the fact they understand the kind of respect that Sachin would get or Dhoni would get or Virat would get... Obviously not playing for any franchise or a club, but by winning matches for India."

The Board is not against the franchises investing in overseas leagues in South Africa, UAE or the West Indies and doesn't feel threatened by any such move. Six of the franchises in South Africa are owned by the Indians.

"Unfortunately, we've seen the media rights value for bilaterals going down.It has been happening across the globe. And somehow to make up for that, all these countries are coming up with the T20 franchise leagues," Dhumal said.

"That way they're wanting to cover up whatever losses in terms of media rights value going down... So in that sense, they would want to try it out. And given what our franchises have got from IPL, the kind of valuation that they got in just a span of 15-16 years, obviously they would want to try it out in other territories also."

So I wish them all the very best. There are few who I think are doing well. There are few who are still struggling... Cricket has to grow now that it is becoming part of the Olympics too."