The race for the playoffs of IPL 2022 is heating up. However, unlike the last few editions, two or three teams might be out of the race with more than a week to go for the conclusion of the league stage. Keeping this in context, there was a discussion on ESPN Cricinfo on the possibility of having five teams in the playoffs. Ian Bishop also reacted positively to the idea. In this article, we take a look at what Ian Bishop had to say about an interesting change of format in IPL.
An interesting change of format in IPL
Earlier, when there were eight teams in the competition, the race for the final spots usually went down to the last day. At times, we have also seen instances wherein teams were locked on points but the franchise with a better NRR made it to the final four.
With the introduction of two new teams from IPL 2022, the scenario is likely to change. Mumbai Indians are already out of the tournament while Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to follow them. With still more than a week to go, this occurrence does not help the tournament.
T20 tournaments would like the race for the playoffs to be more intense. Hence, Ian Bishop reckoned that the idea of having five teams in the knockout stage. While it surely helps from a commercial perspective, the former West Indian cricketer also said that the tournament becomes more interesting because of the change. Here is a look at what he had to say about the idea:
🗣️ Ian Bishop: I can see the benefit of having five teams in the playoffs
Would you like to see the IPL expand the playoffs to include five teams instead of four?
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— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 9, 2022
IPL has the scope to evolve the game
IPL is a game-changer when it comes to T20 cricket. The tournament has already revolutionized the game and with the kind of following it enjoys, the BCCI’s league can make more positive changes to the sport. With two more teams joining in, there is scope for changing the overall experience of the format.
