Amid recent reports that the BCCI is considering an expanded IPL season in the next FTP cycle, board secretary Devajit Saikia has clarified that the idea is not currently under serious consideration. Instead,
the board’s immediate focus is on addressing weather-related challenges that have increasingly affected matches and spectator experience, a factor that could result in the tournament starting a couple of weeks earlier from next season.
The IPL 2026 began on March 28, and a few games were affected by rain. One fixture, between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, was washed out without a result. The BCCI is also concerned about rising summer temperatures during the tournament window, with extreme heat impacting both players and fans attending matches.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Saikia downplayed suggestions that the IPL could soon expand from 74 to 94 matches.
“We (BCCI) are not taking that issue seriously because, as in previous years, the IPL continued for more than two months. It was two months, two days this year, to be precise,” Saikia said on the possibility of IPL matches being increased to 94 from 74.
He pointed out that weather conditions, rather than the number of matches, are currently at the centre of the board’s discussions.
“Last year, there was an extension because of a one-week suspension in between. The only concern we are feeling, and it is in our discussion, is that while the tournament continued till 31st May, some venues are either showing signs of rain or experiencing high temperatures,” he added.
Saikia confirmed that the BCCI is exploring the possibility of advancing the IPL calendar so the tournament can conclude by mid-May and avoid the worst of the heat and pre-monsoon conditions.
“So, we may be exploring ways to bring IPL forward by another 15 days.,” Saikia said. “This year, we started it around March 28. We’ll try to bring IPL a bit ahead of the season, maybe by March 15. We are working on it and finish and close it by May 15 so that the rigours of the warm weather or the rain will not have any impact on the players as well as the crowd and the fans, which is very important because to watch a match, especially the matches in the hot sun, it is very difficult and very uncomfortable for the fans also because of the high temperature in some of the venues.”
While not ruling out an eventual expansion of the IPL, Saikia said that any such move would depend on the international cricket calendar and commitments under the Future Tours Programme (FTP).
“So we are working on it, but I cannot say at this moment that we are taking the matter very seriously to increase it from 74 to 94 because there are a lot of other factors involved. We have to look at the various FTPs and the participation of other countries in bilateral and other multinational tournaments where the ICC is the governing body. So there is no immediate talk about increasing it. But let’s see how things progress after 2027. Only time will tell,” he said.
