Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Juhi Chawla has lent her support to Indian Premier League founder Lalit Modi, advocating for a radical revamp of the tournament’s scheduling away from its traditional April–May slot.

To advertise here,

Writing on social media platform X, Chawla questioned the logic of hosting India’s premier sporting event during peak summer. “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,” she wrote.

Her statement closely aligns with a detailed manifesto released by Modi, who insisted that the league should dictate global schedules rather than submit to them.

"The IPL does not need the ICC to give it a window," Modi asserted. "The IPL is a domestic tournament owned and operated by the BCCI. The BCCI can decide when to stage it. Of course, international commitments and player releases must be managed, but that is entirely different from seeking permission to exist in a particular part of the calendar."

Drawing parallels to the league's inception, Modi recalled how domestic entertainment adapted to the tournament's rise. "In 2008, India’s movie, television and entertainment industries initially thought they could compete with it. They learnt very quickly what happens when the IPL captures the attention of a nation... The IPL didn’t ask Bollywood for a window. Bollywood adjusted to the IPL."

Modi argued that the IPL now holds economic gravity similar to football's English Premier League, proposing either a January start or a extended October–April season to counter severe weather and boost commercial potential.

"The IPL has become to cricket what the English Premier League is to football: a global sporting and commercial powerhouse with the ability to shape the wider ecosystem," Modi stated. "The BCCI has the asset. It has the audience. It has the commercial strength. It needs the confidence to use them... You cannot run tomorrow’s cricket on yesterday’s economics. And remember one thing: The IPL was never built to follow the market. It was built to change the market."