Published on: May 27, 2026 5:03 pm IST|Updated on: May 27, 2026 5:03 pm IST
The Indian Premier League is growing in stature season after season. Being the most-watched cricket league in the world for nearly two decades, cricket fans are kept buzzing around the same time every year between March and May. For years, the IPL has been following its window that falls during the Indian summer. However, the traditional window might be moved to a new one in the upcoming seasons.
Recent statements from IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal have sparked widespread discussion about shifting the tournament to an entirely new time slot or expanding it into a much larger IPL window.
There are two major reasons behind the ongoing conversations regarding a new IPL window: extreme weather and ambitious expansion plans (that could happen in 2028).
Playing top-tier cricket in India during May has become incredibly difficult due to intense summer heatwaves. The harsh weather puts immense physical strain on the players and makes the stadium experience uncomfortable for fans.
Additionally, the IPL governing council wants to increase the number of matches from the current 74 games to 94 games per season starting from 2028. This would allow all 10 teams to play a traditional, fair format where every team faces each other twice—once at home and once away. However, fitting 94 matches into the current 60-day IPL window is virtually impossible without cramming the schedule with double-headers, a format that broadcasters heavily dislike because it splits viewership and hurts advertising revenue.
To solve these hurdles, the league management is looking at alternative options. In an interview with The Hindu, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal shared an intriguing possibility of moving the tournament or utilizing a split schedule.
Speaking about the logistical changes, Dhumal said:
“We need to speak to the broadcaster on whether the tournament can be moved to another window. One suggestion was a window in September-October. That is the best time from an advertiser point of view because it is just before Diwali. Weather is another challenge that we are facing now with May getting very hot. We are looking if we can find a window from February to April and then later in the year.”
A shift to September and October makes strong commercial sense. It aligns perfectly with India’s festive season, a period when brands spend the most money on advertising. Furthermore, the weather across India during autumn is far more pleasant for playing and watching cricket than the punishing heat of May.
While a new or extended IPL window sounds ideal, making it happen is not simple. The global cricket calendar, known as the Future Tours Programme (FTP) managed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), is completely locked until 2027. This means international series and bilateral matches between countries are already scheduled, leaving no immediate room for the IPL to expand.
Addressing the challenge of extending the tournament to 94 games under the current restrictions, Dhumal explained to the Financial Times:
“It is a limited window between roughly mid-March and the end of May. As soon as June starts, the monsoon approaches the southern part of India, so there is no way you can extend at that point in time. If we try to go from 74 to 94 games in the current window, we will end up having more double-headers. That does not work well for broadcasters. We have to look at their interests too. That is why we have restricted ourselves to 74 games.”
Dhumal further added that conversations will actively take place once the current ICC cycle concludes, stating:
“When we go into the next cycle of bilaterals, we will try to see whether we can get a bigger window during this period so we can go from 74 to 94 games. That is also why we are not thinking of extending the number of teams right now. With the current number of teams, you can still increase the number of matches. If you add more teams and then calculate home-and-away, it becomes difficult to make it work.”
Tags: IPL 2026