Wadia Joins Growing Calls for January IPL Window

Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia has added his voice to the growing support for moving the IPL to a January window, telling IGK that the idea appeals to him in principle.

“I think the first thing we have to do is have more matches (94 games). If that means shifting the window, even better, because, you know, with the weather today, there is rain and then it gets very hot. It would be ideal to have it in January,” Wadia said, speaking on the subject of the Hardik Pandya–Arshdeep Singh trade.

He was careful to note the complexity involved. “I think we have to look at the domestic calendars of India and other countries, as well as the international calendar, and then assess it from that perspective. But yes, I think conceptually, it’s a good idea.”

The proposal was first raised by former IPL chairman Lalit Modi, who has campaigned for a January window through his social media posts. In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, Modi framed January as one option within a broader range.

“My broader position is that we should identify the best window from October to the end of April. January is a concrete starting proposal within that range. I am not asking for seven uninterrupted months of exclusive IPL cricket. We need to sit down with the actual fixtures, venues, travel requirements and player commitments and design the season properly,” Modi said.

Chawla’s Public Endorsement

Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Juhi Chawla has also backed the concept, making her case publicly on X. “The IPL no longer needs to find its place in the cricket calendar. It has earned the right to influence it. So why keep playing the biggest cricket tournament on the planet in the harshest heat? And if the calendar is being reconsidered, why not January instead of April-May?

“Better conditions. Better cricket. A better experience for everyone overall! The IPL has evolved. Perhaps its calendar should too now,” she wrote.

The IPL no longer needs to find its place in the cricket calendar. It has earned the right to influence it.

So why keep playing the biggest cricket tournament on the planet in the harshest heat? And if the calendar is being reconsidered, why not January instead of April-May?
Better conditions. Better cricket. A better experience for everyone overall!

The IPL has evolved. Perhaps its calendar should too now!

#JustAThought

— Juhi Chawla Mehta (@iam_juhi) November 9, 2026

The arguments advanced by the supporters centre on conditions and scheduling rather than commercial considerations. Wadia’s reference to rain and extreme heat, and Chawla’s framing of the tournament as having outgrown its need to fit around existing commitments, point to a case built on player welfare and the quality of the cricket on offer.

Nothing has been decided. Wadia’s own remarks acknowledged the number of stakeholders whose calendars would need to be reconciled before any shift could occur. But the list of those willing to say publicly that January makes sense is growing, and it now includes owners from two franchises alongside the man who first proposed the idea.

                                               

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