IPL could begin on March 10, end by May 15 from next season: BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia
New Delhi, June 18
Devajit Saikia, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said on Thursday that the board is considering starting the Indian Premier League as early as March 10 and concluding the season by May 15 from the next season to minimise disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions.
"From next season, IPL could start as early as March 10 and finish by May 15 to avoid adverse weather conditions," BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told ANI.
The IPL is traditionally held from the latter half of March through to the end of May. Notably, the monsoon season also begins to set in across parts of the country during May, and the apex cricket board appears keen to minimise its impact on IPL fixtures.
The 2026 edition of the tournament, featuring 10 teams and 74 matches, commenced on March 28 and concluded on May 31.
The 2026 IPL season saw the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) successfully defend their title, defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final to become only the third franchise, after Chennai Super Kings, and Mumbai Indians, to win back-to-back IPL championships.
In the final, put to bat first by RCB, GT scored just 155/8 in 20 overs, with Washington Sundar (50* in 37 balls, with five fours) and Nishant Sindhu (20 in 18 balls, with three fours) being the only ones to cross the 20-run mark. Rasikh Dar Salam (3/27), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/29) and Josh Hazlewood (2/37) took wickets regularly. RCB started well with a 62-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer (32 in 16 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Virat Kohli. GT showed some fight, reducing RCB to 132/5 at one point, but Virat (75* in 42 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) guided RCB to a win with two overs left.
The win also marked RCB's fourth overall Indian franchise cricket trophy, including two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is long overdue. The monsoon had become a major headache for scheduling, especially in Mumbai and Chennai. Starting earlier will also give more gap before the ICC tournaments. Sensible move by BCCI. 👌
Good idea but March 10 is too early. Exam season for students, plus North India still has chilly evenings. May 15 cutoff is fine for avoiding rain. They should start around March 20-25 instead. Just my two rupees. 😅
As an overseas fan, this makes the league more predictable for scheduling. Though March 10 could clash with the PSL or some bilateral series. But BCCI has the clout to manage that. RCB's double win is incredible—Virat Kohli in beast mode! 🐐
Great move! But I hope they don't forget the smaller venues—Barabati in Cuttack or HPCA in Dharamshala have weather issues too. Also, March might mean Holi overlaps. But overall, a positive step for the league's quality! ✨
I'm all for it. The rain-curtailed matches and Duckworth-Lewis decisions were frustrating. But will this affect the preparation of Indian players for the IPL? Short gap after the domestic season. Hope the workload is managed. Solid planning though!
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