'Leave Cricket To Those Who Understand It': KKR Co-Owner Juhi Chawla Trolled For Backing Call To Start IPL In January

Juhi Chawla has backed Lalit Modi’s call to move the IPL to January, arguing that the tournament should shift away from its March-May slot to give players and fans better conditions.

Chawla’s support comes after Modi recently urged the BCCI on X to reconsider the IPL calendar, arguing that the tournament has grown into a major sporting and commercial property that no longer needs a dedicated window in the international cricket calendar. He called for a schedule that focuses on sustainable growth, better playing conditions and greater value for broadcasters and Indian cricket.

Chawla's X Response

Chawla made her view clear on X.

Responding to Modi’s post, the Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner argued that the IPL has earned the right to shape the cricket calendar rather than fit around it. She also questioned why the tournament should continue in peak Indian summer when a change is already under discussion.

"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?" Chawla said on X.

She then spelt out the case for a winter start and linked it directly to the quality of cricket and the match-going experience. "Better conditions. Better cricket. A better experience for everyone overall! The IPL has evolved. Perhaps its calendar should too now!" Chawla said.

However, her comments triggered immediate backlash from fans who follow international cricket year-round. Critics called out the Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner for pushing commercial interests at the expense of the international game, arguing that moving the IPL into January would disrupt traditional bilateral series and undermine the authenticity of international fixtures.

Many expressed frustration at what they saw as another attempt to prioritize franchise business over national team cricket, while several fans took to social media to troll her for suggesting that global cricket schedules should bow to the IPL.

Modi's Schedule Argument

Modi, who was the mastermind behind the inception of the league, has suggested that the BCCI should consider beginning the tournament in January instead of waiting for the usual March-May cycle. His case rests on the IPL’s scale as both a cricket product and a business property.

Modi believes the league has become strong enough to operate without depending on a protected international window. He wants the schedule to reflect that shift and to prioritise sustainable growth, better playing conditions and greater value for broadcasters and Indian cricket.

Heat is central to his argument. Modi has pointed to the intense summer conditions during April and May and argued that an earlier start would make life easier for players and spectators while also opening up better broadcast opportunities.

BCCI Weather Discussion

The BCCI are already discussing weather risks.

While no major calendar overhaul has been reported, BCCI are considering moving the IPL's start a little earlier to deal with heat and the threat of rain late in the season. That makes the current debate more than a theoretical one.

"This year, IPL started around March 29 [28], and it was over by May 31," Saikia said to PTI. He then flagged the weather issue at the back end of the competition. "Only thing which we are discussing is that during the fag end of the tournament after May 15... there is apprehension of having rainfall or pre-monsoon season starting."

Saikia also linked the problem to player and fan comfort. "On the other hand, there is hot weather which is not very conducive either for the players or for the crowds," he said.

The board and the league’s governing council are now weighing a modest shift rather than a full reset. "So therefore, there is a discussion going on in BCCI as well as in our IPL governing council regarding whether we can start the tournament a little bit earlier than the fag end of March," Saikia said to PTI. It remains to be seen whether the BCCI will go ahead with that change from next year.