Rahul Dravid’s Opinion of Expansion of IPL Teams

There are quite a few talks going around about adding a ninth team to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Meanwhile, former India and Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Rahul Dravid expressed his views on this subject and said that the lucrative T20 league was ready for expansion.

Rahul Dravid was speaking at the virtual launch of a book, “A New Innings” by IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale and cricketer-turned-broadcaster Simon Hughes.

“From a cricketing talent perspective, we are ready for an expansion. There are some incredible young talents in India that are waiting for the opportunity at the big stage. We have seen it this year. We will see a lot of new faces coming up if they get an opportunity,” said Rahul Dravid.

Dravid impressed by the young talent on display at the just-concluded Indian Premier League in the UAE.

“There are some real talents who are not getting opportunities to play in the XI. We have seen some of the young Indian talents in this IPL. Being involved with the under-19 team, it has been fantastic to see so many of those young boys who have come on and established themselves not only for their state teams but also in the IPL,” Dravid added.

According to some sources, the cash-rich tournament is planning to expand from traditional 8 teams to 10 in the upcoming IPL 2021.

According to several rumours, BCCI will likely to releases a tender subjected to this post-Diwali.

“The concept of the IPL has always envisaged an expansion from eight to at least 10 teams. It’s not a new topic. We have had 10 teams in the past and now the IPL is getting bigger. The extension of franchises is inevitable and it is a good thing,” he said.