Lalit Modi backs BCCI on no immediate IPL expansion, pushes for schedule overhaul
Synopsis
Lalit Modi has applauded BCCI for shutting down 12-team IPL speculation — but his real message is about the calendar. He's calling for a three-week forward shift to begin in February, warning that ignoring climate change and the extreme May heat is coming 'at the cost of other cricket.'
Key Takeaways
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed no discussions — formal or informal — have taken place on expanding the IPL to 12 teams by 2028 .
Lalit Modi welcomed the clarification via a post on X , saying it 'ends speculation' around an immediate expansion.
Modi urged the BCCI to shift the tournament start to the third week of February to avoid the extreme heat in the final three weeks of May .
The 94-match format is described by Modi as 'mandatory' and requires a reworked schedule to be viable.
The team purse remains at ₹125 crore with no confirmed plan to raise it to ₹150 crore before the 2027 mega auction .
The player auction on 16 December will be the last auction of the current cycle.
IPL founder Lalit Modi has welcomed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s clarification that an expansion of the league from 10 to 12 teams is not on the immediate agenda, while simultaneously pressing for a significant rescheduling of the tournament to tackle climate-related heat concerns and accommodate a mandatory 94-match format.
What the BCCI Said
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the proposal to expand the IPL to 12 teams by 2028 had not been discussed — formally or informally — within the Board. Saikia also indicated that the BCCI's immediate focus remains the 2027 edition, which will mark the tournament's 20th season. No decision has been taken to raise the team purse from ₹125 crore to ₹150 crore ahead of the 2027 mega auction.
Modi's X Post and Key Arguments
Responding via a post on X, Modi said he was relieved that the official statement had resolved uncertainty around the expansion timeline. 'I am glad this official comment for now ends speculation of 12 teams. Also, I showed you all what it will take to get the games scheduled to the 94 games going forward, which is mandatory,' he wrote.
Modi went further, arguing that the tournament calendar requires a structural revision regardless of team count. He proposed moving the schedule forward by roughly three weeks — beginning as early as the third week of February — to avoid the final three weeks of May, which he described as the most punishing period for heat.
The Climate Change Argument
'Even if BCCI cannot adopt the earlier schedule and one has to live with may end finish the schedule will nevertheless has to move to second week match. Moving it up 3 weeks into the third week of February will definitely be the first step to avoiding the last three weeks of May, which is the worst heat. You cannot escape climate change; I am sorry. We have to adapt and not continue to ignore reality at the cost of other cricket,' Modi wrote.
The concern is not new — players and broadcasters have flagged rising temperatures during the latter stages of the IPL for several seasons. Modi's intervention lends a high-profile voice to calls for calendar reform that have so far not resulted in substantive BCCI action.
Auction Timeline and What's Next
The BCCI has confirmed that the upcoming player auction on 16 December will be the final auction of the current cycle. With the 2027 mega auction on the horizon and the Board focused on the tournament's milestone 20th season, any structural changes — including schedule shifts or team additions — appear unlikely in the near term. How the BCCI responds to Modi's scheduling advocacy will be closely watched by franchise owners and broadcasters with significant stakes in the tournament's format.
Point of View
He neutralises any perception of conflict, then pivots to his real agenda — calendar reform. The climate-change argument is harder to dismiss than a governance one, and Modi knows it. What mainstream coverage misses is that the 94-match scheduling problem does not go away simply because expansion is deferred; it intensifies. The BCCI's silence on the February start proposal will itself become a story if the 2027 season again concludes in a heatwave.
NationPress
14 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the BCCI approved expanding the IPL to 12 teams?
No. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the proposal to expand the IPL from 10 to 12 teams by 2028 has not been discussed, either formally or informally, within the Board. The BCCI's stated priority is the 2027 edition — the tournament's 20th season.
What did Lalit Modi say about the IPL schedule?
Lalit Modi called for the IPL to begin in the third week of February, moving the tournament forward by approximately three weeks, to avoid concluding in the final weeks of May when heat is most extreme. He argued this change is necessary to accommodate the mandatory 94-match format and to address climate change realities.
What is the mandatory 94-match format Modi referred to?
Modi has previously outlined a 94-match schedule tied to a potential 12-team IPL structure. He argues that fitting this format into the existing calendar without a schedule shift is not feasible, particularly given worsening heat conditions in late May.
What is the status of the IPL team purse ahead of the 2027 mega auction?
The team purse remains at ₹125 crore, with no decision taken to raise it to ₹150 crore before the 2027 mega auction, according to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
When is the next IPL player auction?
The next IPL player auction is scheduled for 16 December and has been confirmed as the final auction of the current cycle, ahead of the 2027 mega auction.
