The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering a major schedule change for the Indian Premier League (IPL), with plans to start the tournament earlier than the 2027 season. The aim of the move is to reduce the impact of extreme weather conditions on players, fans and match operations.BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia revealed that discussions are underway to move the IPL window to around March 10-May 15, instead of the traditional late March to late May schedule. The proposed change would coincide with the league’s crucial 20th edition in 2027.
Weather concerns prompted the proposed change
Speaking to PTI, BCCI’s Devajit Saikia believes that the latter stages of the IPL are increasingly affected by high temperatures and the possibility of pre-monsoon rain in several parts of the country.“This year the IPL started around March 29 (28) and ended by May 31. The only thing we are discussing is that during the phase end of the tournament after May 15…there is a fear of the onset of rain or pre-monsoon season. On the other hand, the weather is hot which is not very convenient for the players or the audience,” Saikia told PTI.He added that the committee plans to move the tournament by about two weeks.“So there is an ongoing discussion in the BCCI as well as in our IPL Governing Council as to whether we can start the tournament a little earlier than the end of March,” he said.
What worries you the most about the current IPL schedule?
“From next year, we’re going to go all out and I’ve already instructed our GM (Game Development) (former manager Abbey Kuruvilla) to see if we start it by March 10th and finish it by May 15th. “To avoid adverse weather conditions ahead of the playoffs and finals of IPL 2027 which will be the 20th edition,” Saikia added.Saikia also revealed that both players and fans have expressed concerns about the playing conditions.“I hear a lot of complaints from fans as well as players, because not all players are well equipped or well acclimatized to play in such hot conditions, so in order to ensure a comfortable atmosphere for the tournament, we want to close it until May 15. “That is our first objective now and that is the main concern for the 20th edition of the IPL next year, which will be a big event,” he said.
There are no plans to increase the number of matches
Despite the occasional debate over increasing the size of the tournament, Saikia made it clear that there are currently no plans to expand the IPL beyond the existing 74-match format.“…it is not feasible at the moment because we have to take into account many other factors concerning different players coming from different nations. We are getting this two-month window with a lot of difficulty,” he said.“It will be very difficult to go beyond two months because other countries also have to pay for bilateral matches… So at this point there is no discussion on increasing the matches from 74 to 94. It will not happen immediately,” Saikia clarified.
