Two Dedicated Windows For IPL In Near Future? Chairman Arun Dhumal Teases Expansion Plan
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal opened up on a possible expansion plan in the near future for cricket's cash-rich league.
IPL 2026 has reached its climax stage almost. RCB thrashed the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 to become the first finalist this campaign. Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad will renew their rivalry once again in the Eliminator on Wednesday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur.
IPL To Have A Two Window Season?
The home and away format has been scrapped since 2022, with a specific team playing against five teams twice and with the other four teams once. The IPL currently has a two-month window, and almost all the major cricketing nations send their players to the cash-rich league.
IPL has always been held in the May-June window, but given the longevity of the tournament, chairman Arun Dhumal insisted they are ideally looking to utilise the pre-Diwali time for the IPL. In an interaction with Sportstar, he said, I do not think so. We need to sit across and speak to the broadcaster for their opinion 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. We will look at that when the next bilateral tender comes into play, in case we can find a window there."
The rising heatwave across North India has been a massive concern and Dhumal also has a potential solution in his bag. He further added, “Weather is another challenge that we are facing now with May getting very hot. We are also looking if we can find a window from February to April and then later in the year. We have to do what is best for the game because IPL does not impact only the BCCI, it impacts all other cricket boards and players who play across the globe. We will sit across with all our friends from other countries and find what works best for this tournament and cricket globally.”
IPL has changed the scenario of franchise cricket and is currently one of the most popular leagues in the world.
Published By : Anirban Sarkar
Published On: 27 May 2026 at 14:36 IST