Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Juhi Chawla has called for the Indian Premier League (IPL) to move from its traditional March-May window to January. She believes the tournament has grown into a major global competition and should have a greater say in deciding its place on the international cricket calendar.
The tournament has traditionally occupied the March-to-May window, with schedule changes during the Covid-affected 2020 and 2021 seasons. The BCCI has not announced any plan to alter the calendar, and a January edition would require careful coordination with international fixtures and player availability.
Juhi Chawla Wants IPL Moved to January to Improve Playing Conditions
On X on Monday, Juhi Chawla said that the tournament no longer needs to adjust to the existing cricket calendar. The KKR co-owner also questioned why players and supporters should have to deal with extreme summer temperatures during the competition.
"The IPL no longer needs to find its place in the cricket calendar. It has earned the right to influence it," Juhi Chawla wrote.
"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," Chawla wrote.
"The IPL has evolved. Perhaps its calendar should too now!"
The IPL no longer needs to find its place in the cricket calendar. It has earned the right to influence it. 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? Better conditions. Better cricket. A better experience for everyone overall! The IPL has evolved. Perhaps its calendar should too now! #JustAThought
— Juhi Chawla Mehta (@iam_juhi) November 9, 2026
Lalit Modi Backs Juhi Chawla's Proposal and Says IPL Does Not Need ICC Approval
Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi supported Juhi Chawla's suggestion, arguing that the BCCI should have the freedom to decide when its domestic T20 competition takes place. Modi was expelled from the IPL and the BCCI for "committing acts of serious misconduct and indiscipline".
"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 wrote on social media.
"Of course, international commitments and player releases must be managed, but that is entirely different from seeking permission to exist in a particular part of the calendar."
"And here is the bigger point. The IPL is no longer a tournament trying to find its place in world cricket. World cricket must recognise the place the IPL has already earned."
Lalit Modi Proposes January or October-April Window for IPL
Lalit Modi had previously urged the BCCI to reconsider the tournament's traditional summer schedule. He compared the IPL's position in cricket to that of the English Premier League in football, describing it as a global sporting and commercial powerhouse.
"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. And like the EPL, its strength comes from the product, the clubs, the supporters, the talent and the commercial model - not from asking competing competitions to clear the calendar."
Modi proposed two alternatives to the existing schedule: a January start or a carefully planned October-to-April competition window. He also warned that the BCCI should not allow the existing international calendar to restrict the league's future expansion.
"The BCCI has the asset. It has the audience. It has the commercial strength. It needs the confidence to use them."
"The ICC and other cricket boards should recognise the economic reality and work constructively around it. The IPL cannot be expected to subsidise an outdated global calendar indefinitely. You cannot run tomorrow's cricket on yesterday's economics."
A move to January would mark a major departure from the IPL's established schedule. The BCCI would need to account for international commitments, player workloads, broadcast agreements and venue availability before considering such a change.
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