IPL could grow to 12 teams from 2028, with Pune and Vadodara leading the race for two new franchises

Wendy
November 10, 2026

The BCCI is exploring adding two franchises to the IPL from the 2028 season, taking the league to 12 teams, with Pune and Vadodara the most likely homes for them, according to a report in Mint that was carried by Gulf News and other outlets. The board has not commented, and the report describes the talks as being at an early stage, with the choice of cities open to change.

If it happens, it would be the first expansion since Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans arrived in 2022, and it would reverse the line the league took only last year.

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Key points

The BCCI is in early talks about two new IPL franchises from 2028, according to Mint; nothing is confirmed
Pune and Vadodara are the reported front-runners, with each new team expected to be valued above $1 billion
The plan would line up with the 2028-32 media-rights cycle; the current 2023-27 rights went for $6.2 billion

Last year, ten was enough

In April 2025, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal said the league was looking at a longer season from 2028 rather than more teams. His plan was a 94-match, full home-and-away format for the existing ten sides, and on new franchises he was blunt: “Ten is a good number for now,” he said, Reuters reported.

Both routes lead to the same place: more matches to sell when the next rights cycle, 2028 to 2032, goes to market. The current 2023-27 cycle fetched $6.2 billion (Rs 48,390 crore). Mint ties the expansion talk to that tender. The reports also note the limits: how many Indian players of IPL standard there are to spread across 12 squads, and how many more matches broadcasters want in an already crowded calendar.

What the new teams could cost

Each new franchise is expected to be valued above $1 billion, the report says, with interest from Indian business groups, US family offices, West Asian sovereign wealth funds, Asian state-backed investors and the private equity firm Permira.

That would be a big step up from 2021, when RPSG paid Rs 7,090 crore (about $940 million) for Lucknow and CVC Capital Partners Rs 5,625 crore (about $750 million) for Gujarat. The market has moved since: the agreed sale of Royal Challengers Bengaluru valued the franchise at $1.78 billion, and Rajasthan Royals were bought at a reported $1.65 billion valuation.

Why Pune and Vadodara

Pune has been here twice. Pune Warriors India played from 2011 to 2013 before Sahara pulled out after a dispute with the BCCI over the franchise fee, and Rising Pune Supergiant filled in for the suspended Chennai and Rajasthan in 2016 and 2017, losing the 2017 final to Mumbai Indians by one run. Rising Pune Supergiant, and Pune Warriors from 2012, played at Gahunje, outside the city.

Vadodara would be new. It sits about 110 km from Ahmedabad, Gujarat Titans’ home, and now has a large modern ground at Kotambi, which staged its first men’s ODI in January, when India beat New Zealand by four wickets, IANS reported.

What happens next

Nothing is decided. The BCCI would need to choose between a longer season for ten teams and a bigger league, set a tender process for any new franchises, and do it in time for the media-rights sale for 2028. The 2027 season is the last under the current deal. For the league as it stands, see our IPL hub.

What it would mean for fans and bettors

Twelve teams, or a 94-match season, means more fixtures and more markets in the same March-to-May window.
A wider spread of Indian talent would weaken some line-ups. Squad depth, especially in Indian fast bowling, would matter more in pricing teams.
Until the BCCI confirms anything, treat 2028 as a report rather than a plan. Our IPL predictions will follow the current ten-team season.

For more, see upcoming fixtures in our match centre and the latest cricket odds.

Top image: Photo: BPositive / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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