New Delhi, November 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
IPL founder and former chairman Lalit Modi has proposed shifting the tournament from its current March-May window to a broader October-April period, with a January start and an expanded 94-match format.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Modi said April-May was the only available window when the IPL was launched in 2008, but argued that the league’s growth now requires a fresh calendar. The tournament began with eight teams and 59 matches and has since expanded to 10 teams. A complete home-and-away format would involve 90 league matches and four playoffs.
Modi said a longer season could improve scheduling, provide more comfortable stadium conditions and reduce pressure on players and spectators. He also stressed the need to account for school calendars, player preparation and adequate rest.
He acknowledged that a January start would require changes to the international and domestic cricket calendars. He proposed discussing the matter as part of the next Future Tours Programme (FTP), with protected blocks for international cricket and a coherent domestic schedule.
Modi also argued that the BCCI should assess the commercial implications of changing the IPL window, saying bilateral and ICC broadcast rights income could face pressure in the next cycle. He described the IPL as the BCCI’s principal commercial engine and said the overall calendar should be planned by weighing the financial interests of franchise and international cricket.
Addressing concerns about fatigue from increasing the tournament to 94 matches, Modi said spreading the season over more weeks could create a better weekly rhythm, provided players were given genuine breaks and their commitments across the year were managed carefully.
He also called on ICC Chairman Jay Shah to help build an agreement with other cricket boards, balancing the IPL’s commercial growth with international cricket commitments and fair arrangements for player availability.
Modi said the objective was not to impose an Indian calendar on other countries but to develop a scheduling arrangement that strengthens the IPL while providing greater certainty to the wider game.
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