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IPL to be held twice in a year? Chairman reveals [Source: AFP]
In a significant development, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal revealed that the governing council is searching for an alternative window for the lucrative T20 tournament.
The IPL 2026 has entered its business end, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad fighting for the coveted title.
The competition kicked off on March 28, with SRH taking on defending champions RCB in a riveting contest at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The final of the IPL 2026 will be played on May 31, meaning the tournament will conclude after a two-month-long run.
IPL's expansion demands alternative window
Generally, the BCCI conducts the IPL in the March-May window. The tournament, which had 74 matches, including four playoff fixtures, will likely comprise 94 games.
The BCCI plans to extend the IPL further, and as per the proposed schedule, the ten teams will play an equal number of home and away matches.
The expansion of the tournament obviously needs a wider window, but the hot and humid weather in India will make it incredibly tough for the stakeholders, including the players as well as fans, to be a part of the IPL in June.
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Therefore, it's necessary for the IPL governing council to find an alternative window for the tournament if it is seriously considering expanding the competition to 18 matches per side.
Arun Dhumal reveals possible window for IPL going forward
In an exclusive chat with Sportstar, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal reckoned that the governing council is planning to shift the tournament to the September-October window.
Given that it'll be incredibly tough for the cricketers to play in June's extreme heat, the IPL could be conducted in two separate windows.
While the first phase may be preponed to February, the second half could be scheduled in the September-October window to make the most of the Indian festive season.
However, Arun Dhumal stated that the IPL governing council would finalise the alternative window only after discussing the matter with the broadcasters.
"We need to sit across and speak to the broadcaster for their opinion on whether the tournament can be moved to another window. One suggestion was a window in September-October. That is the best time from an advertiser point of view because it is just before Diwali. We will look at that when the next bilateral tender comes into play, in case we can find a window there," IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal told Sportstar.
"Weather is another challenge that we are facing now with May getting very hot. We are also looking if we can find a window from February to April and then later in the year. We have to do what is best for the game because IPL does not impact only the BCCI, it impacts all other cricket boards and players who play across the globe. We will sit across with all our friends from other countries and find what works best for this tournament and cricket globally," he added.
RCB race to IPL final; RR to face SRH in Eliminator
As far as the IPL 2026 is concerned, defending champions RCB stormed into the final of the competition following a thumping win over Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals are set to lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator. The winner of this fixture will face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 for the remaining spot in the final.
The high-voltage RR Vs SRH eliminator, as well as the Qualifier 2, will be played at the Mullanpur Stadium, while the final is scheduled at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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