IPL should move to January, suggests KKR co-owner
What's the story
Juhi Chawla, co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, has suggested that the Indian Premier League (IPL) should be shifted from its traditional March-May window to January. She argued that the tournament has grown enough to influence its own schedule. "The IPL no longer needs to find its place in the cricket calendar. It has earned the right to influence it," she posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Improved experience
Why play IPL in harsh weather conditions?
Chawla questioned why the biggest cricket tournament in the world is played in such harsh weather conditions.
"Why keep playing the biggest cricket tournament on the planet in the harshest heat? And if the calendar is being reconsidered, why not January instead of April-May? Better conditions. Better cricket. A better experience for everyone overall," she wrote.
Twitter Post
Here's what Chawla posted!
The IPL no longer needs to find its place in the cricket calendar. It has earned the right to influence it.
— Juhi Chawla Mehta (@iam_juhi) November 9, 2026
So why keep playing the biggest cricket tournament on the planet in the harshest heat? And if the calendar is being reconsidered, why not January instead of April-May?…
Endorsement
IPL is a domestic tournament: Lalit Modi
Lalit Modi, the first chairman of IPL, supported Chawla's suggestion.
He said, "The IPL does not need the ICC to give it a window. The IPL is a domestic tournament owned and operated by the BCCI. The BCCI can decide when to stage it."
Modi emphasized that while international commitments and player releases must be managed, they are different from seeking permission for a specific calendar slot.
Comparison
EPL comparison and alternatives for scheduling
Modi compared the IPL's status in cricket to that of the English Premier League (EPL) in football.
He said, "The IPL has become to cricket what the English Premier League is to football: a global sporting and commercial powerhouse with the ability to shape the wider ecosystem."
He suggested two alternatives for scheduling: a January start or a carefully structured October-April competition calendar.
Commercial power
BCCI's commercial strength and the need for confidence
Modi stressed the BCCI's commercial strength and audience reach, saying "The BCCI has the asset. It has the audience. It has the commercial strength. It needs the confidence to use them."
He also said that other cricket boards should recognize this economic reality and work constructively around it.
"The IPL cannot be expected to subsidize an outdated global calendar indefinitely," he added.