The IPL needs to have an expanded window says Juhi Chawla

Wadia is not in favour of increasing the number of teams in the near future. The last time new teams were added was ahead of the 2022 season, when Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans became part of the world's biggest T20 league

New Delhi: Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia has endorsed Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Juhi Chawla’s idea of starting the IPL in January, provided there is scope for a change in the schedule.

Chawla wants the IPL to begin in January instead of its usual late-March start. In a conversation with PTI, Wadia said he was in favour of changing the IPL window as long as the international and domestic cricket calendars allowed it.

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“It’s a good opportunity as long as the window permits. It does get a bit hot also (March-May). And then rain comes in sometimes. But it all depends on the window. And IPL is the leader. So why not lead into that, as long as the window allows it?

“And maybe that way we can also have an extended season. But there are a lot of other things which have to be looked at. You know, there’s the SMAT (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy), the Ranji Trophy, the other trophies as well, domestic cricket per se. We have to take the international calendar (home season for Australia and South Africa) into account also.

“But it’s a good idea to look at it in a different window. We’ve talked about it for many years. And if it happens, great. You know, if not, we continue like this. But there should be an extended window also, as far as possible. We would love the IPL to happen for a longer period,” he said.

The number of matches is expected to increase to 94 from the existing 74 in the media rights cycle starting in 2028.

10 teams good for the moment

Wadia is not in favour of increasing the number of teams in the near future. The last time new teams were added was ahead of the 2022 season, when Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans became part of the world’s biggest T20 league.

“I think 10 for the moment is good, frankly,” Wadia said.

Growth of IPL still in its nascent stage

The BCCI mopped up roughly Rs 48,000 crore for the 2023-2027 media rights cycle, and the amount is likely to increase in the next cycle starting in 2028.

The IPL has become a behemoth in the cricketing world, but Wadia said its growth potential remained enormous.

“BCCI will unlock the best value for media rights, frankly speaking. They are the experts. As I’ve said before, it’s only 18 years old in terms of age.

“So, it’s still evolving, especially when you compare it to other successful leagues across the world. I know everyone says it’s 18 years, but I think we’ve got a fair bit to go and we’ll grow a lot.”