The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is mulling over an early start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year. The 20th edition of IPL may start at least a two weeks earlier than the recently-concluded season to avoid playing in extreme heat. It could mean that the IPL 2027 begins anywhere around March 10.
Saikia said that the excessive heat is not just an issue for players but the crowd as well. A discussion between the BCCI and IPL governing council is ongoing. The BCCI's general manager of games development, former India pacer Abey Kuruvilla has already been instructed to look for the window so that IPL 2027 begins on March 10 and ends around May 15.
ALSO READ: BCCI to send Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's parents on UK tour for T20I debut to 'ease a lot of issues'
India’s home season ends in the first week of March upon conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2027. The fifth and the last Test series between India and Australia will begin on February 27 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Lot of complaints from players and fans
Saikia revealed that he has had complains from players and fans about the hot weather. He has made it as his primary concern for the next IPL season.
"I'm hearing a lot of complaints from the fans as well as from the players, because not all players are very well-equipped or well-acclimatised to play in such hot conditions," Saikia told PTI.
There were plenty of injuries during the IPL 2026 due to dehydration. It also led to teams missing key players in important matches.
Will IPL 2027 feature 20 more games?
Meanwhile, Saikia has ruled out the possibility of having 94 instead of 74 games in IPL 2027. Earlier, IPL chairman Anurag Thakur had suggested splitting the tournament into two halves in order to accommodate 94 games.
Saikia has not ruled out the expansion of IPL to 94 games but confirmed that it won’t happen in the next season. He cited bilateral series and other multi-team tournaments as the reasons for the reluctance to add 20 more games for IPL 2027. In addition, he expects Indian domestic season a little earlier to accommodate the early start to the IPL.