IPL losing Rs 2400 crore every year? Lalit Modi drops explosive claim
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has prioritized calendar feasibility, player workload, and international commitments over maximizing match volume.
IPL 2026 (PC- Social Media)
Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has claimed that the Indian Premier League is losing nearly ₹2,400 crore every season due to its current format. His core argument is simple: the league is not following the original home-and-away structure, which would have increased the number of matches and, in turn, broadcast revenue. This matters now because IPL’s valuation is at an all-time high, yet structural inefficiencies could be limiting its full commercial potential.
Why Lalit Modi believes IPL is losing ₹2,400 crore
Modi’s calculation is based on the gap between the current 74-match format and a full home-and-away season involving 10 teams.
- A full format would result in 90+ league matches
- IPL currently runs 74 matches
- That’s a shortfall of ~20 games per season
According to Modi:
"For every game, the BCCI gets 50 per cent, and the remaining 50 per cent is distributed to teams. Consequently, teams are now losing out on 20 games. It is a contractual obligation, given the fees they are paying, to provide them with home-and-away fixtures."
The financial implication is significant. With media rights valued at approximately ₹118 crore per match, those missing fixtures translate into a massive revenue gap.
The ₹2,400 crore breakdown: where the money is lost
Modi explains the economics clearly:
₹2,400 crore: Estimated additional media rights revenue
₹1,200 crore: Share that would go to franchises
₹120 crore per team: Approximate annual loss
"If there were 94 matches today on a home-and-away basis at Rs 118 crore per game, the media rights alone would be worth an extra Rs 2,400 crore. That is Rs 2,400 crore in additional revenue for the BCCI."
"Of this, Rs 1,200 crore would have gone to the 10 teams, Rs120 crore each, and team values would automatically have been higher."
From a commercial standpoint, this is not marginal. It directly impacts franchise valuations, sponsorship inventory, and broadcast scale.
The format debate: expansion vs scheduling reality
The IPL expanded to 10 teams in 2022, but did not fully adopt the traditional double round-robin format.
Modi’s criticism is pointed:
"The home-and-away format is where the value lies. If there is no space in the calendar, do not increase the number of teams. It is as simple as that. That is not what we sold. Has everybody signed off on this? I guarantee they have not."
This brings up a structural dilemma:
- More teams = broader market reach
- Fewer matches = constrained revenue ceiling
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has prioritized calendar feasibility, player workload, and international commitments over maximizing match volume.