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KKR co-owner Juhi Chawla backs January start for IPL

Juhi Chawla has supported Lalit Modi's proposal to move the Indian Premier League from its traditional April-May window to January.

By , Editor

· 1 min read

Cricket, general photo
Cricket (general photo, not from this event) Photo: yogendras31 / Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

KKR co-owner Juhi Chawla has endorsed IPL founder Lalit Modi's call to shift the IPL calendar, suggesting a January start instead of the traditional April-May window to avoid extreme summer heat.

Key takeaways

  • Juhi Chawla supports moving the IPL from April-May to January
  • Lalit Modi proposed a January start or an October-April calendar
  • Chawla said the IPL has earned the right to influence the cricket calendar
  • No formal talk of moving the IPL calendar has taken place yet

Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Juhi Chawla has backed IPL founder Lalit Modi's proposal to shift the Indian Premier League to January, Free Press Journal reported. ESPNcricinfo said Chawla made the comments on X on Monday.

Chawla's proposal

Chawla questioned why the biggest cricket tournament on the planet continues to be played during the harshest heat. She suggested that January could be a better option if the BCCI decides to reconsider the existing schedule.

"The IPL no longer needs to find its place in the cricket calendar. It has earned the right to influence it," Chawla wrote. "So why keep playing the biggest cricket tournament on the planet in the harshest heat? "

Modi's alternatives

Earlier, IPL founder Lalit Modi had urged the BCCI to seriously examine moving the tournament away from its current April-May window. He proposed two alternatives: a January start or a carefully structured October-April competition calendar.

Modi argued that the IPL is a domestic tournament owned and operated by the BCCI, which means the Indian cricket board can decide when to stage it.

He added that 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.

Context

The IPL has traditionally been played in the March to May window, or early June, according to ESPNcricinfo. There were tweaks in the Covid-19 years: 2020 and 2021. Chawla said a change could result in better playing conditions, improved cricket and a better experience for everyone overall. "The IPL has evolved. Perhaps its calendar should too now!" she concluded.

What happens next

ESPNcricinfo reported that there has been no formal talk of moving the IPL calendar. Modi said others may try to counter-programme the IPL if it chooses its own optimal calendar, and they are free to do so.

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